The Beginning of a Spirit
by Summers-Spirit
Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the Institute. How will her presence affect the others? Slightly AU to X3. Will be ScottOC, eventually. My first FF!
1. Chapter 1

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the event of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. The idea has been in my head for a while, and I thought why not write it? Let me know what you think, because there plenty more chapters, and I will update as regularly as possible. All reviews are appreciated. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Rebecca Winchester stood at the giant front doors of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters and took a few calming breaths. She knew she'd taken this appointment for a good reason, but she was beginning to rethink the decision. She had no idea what the school could possibly need her for. At 19 years of age she figured she was too old to be a student, but too young to be a teacher, even if she did have the credentials. She wasn't kidding herself either; she knew it had something to do with her abilities.

When she was 16 she discovered she could turn invisible at will, could heal other people's injuries or illnesses with her bare hands, and she could hear peoples thoughts. Not that she did that much, the noise was too unbearable. She'd had to learn how to block her mind from others over time. After finishing her studies early, at the age of 17 (she was quite smart, and excelled in most of her subjects) she left Australia and headed for New York. She got a job that paid enough for her to survive, and lived a fairly normal life. Returning home from work one day she found a letter from Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. She'd heard of the school by reputation and knew it was very exclusive. She was surprised to find that Charles Xavier himself had requested she attend an appointment in a week's time.

So now here she was, trying to relax. She took a few more deep breaths, and knocked on the door.

A young boy, he didn't look more than ten years old, wrenched the door open so fast it looked like it was going to fall off its hinges.

"Hi, my name's Rebecca Winchester, I've got an…"

"Appointment with the Professor, I know, come on in. My names Mark. Are you going to be a new teacher or something? I kind of thought we had enough of those. But I guess there is that rumor going around that Mr. Summers is leaving…"

It seems the kid did everything fast, it was an effort just to keep up with his sentences. He didn't stop talking the entire time, and it was only when they reached a door slightly hidden in the corner that he slowed down.

"Here's the Professor's office, just go right in, he's expecting you! Bye!"

Mark sped off around the corner to catch up with a group of children that had just walked past. Rebecca took another deep breath and opened the door. It was a large office, and brightly lit by the afternoon sun. Sitting behind the large wooden desk, was a kind-looking bald man who could only be Professor Charles Xavier.

"Please sit down Ms. Winchester. I'm glad you could make the appointment."

"Thank you Professor Xavier. I don't mean to be rude, but why exactly did you want to meet with me?"

He smiled.

"The reason I asked you here is because I am aware of your mutant abilities and would like to offer you the chance to learn how to control them."

"How did you know I'm a mutant?"

"I have my methods, but trust me Ms. Winchester, there's no need to be alarmed. Now, if you accept this offer you will have a place to stay, and all kinds of training and resources will be available to you. The only thing I ask in return is that you help us with some teaching duties."

I was confused now. None of this made any sense; the things he was offering were too good to be true.

"Aren't I a little young to be a teacher Professor?"

"At this school, no. But you won't be a teacher exactly; you'll be more like an assistant. I want you to help Scott Summers with his English class. I will introduce you to him later, along with the rest of the staff. So Ms. Winchester, do we have an agreement?"

How could she refuse? It was everything she needed right here.

"I'm in professor. I'll do the best I can."

"Wonderful! Now, Mark is again waiting outside to show you to your room. Once you're settled in feel free to explore. I only ask that you return here at half past five to meet everyone. I will fill them in on your situation before you arrive. Thank you ever so much for helping us out Ms. Winchester."

"It's no problem really. I think you're helping me out more."

She left the office, and sure enough, the chatterbox was standing there. He led her up the steps and down the corridor to a room right at the end. It had a bed and a bathroom, and that's all that mattered to her. After saying goodbye to Mark, she unpacked her things and collapsed onto her bed. It had been a long day and it wasn't over yet.


	2. Chapter 2

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the event of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. The idea has been in my head for a while, and I thought why not write it? Let me know what you think, because there are plenty more chapters, and I will update as regularly as possible, although I'll have to fight my brother for the computer. All reviews are appreciated. Enjoy! Oh, and there will eventually be some romance, but I love my angst!

More Notes: Thanks for the reviews. Glad some people liked it.

Chapter 2

Scott Summers did not want to be here. He'd much rather be in his room, or in the library with a good book. Not out being forced to meet the newest "recruit". The professor was filling them in about her abilities, but Scott was only half listening. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Ever since Alkali Lake.

_Don't think about that!_, Scott ordered himself.

"Whoa, hold up a minute! Are you saying she's a telepath?"

This caught Scott's attention. Logan had practically yelled. Another telepath, and only two months after Jean. What the hell was going on?

"Yes Logan, that's precisely what I'm saying. But you can relax; she's built something like a fortress around her mind, shielding it from anyone else's thoughts. The noise was too unbearable for her to cope. But I'm hoping in time she will be able to handle it. Now I have asked her to stay on here, and she's agreed. She's also going to be helping Scott teach his classes."

Now Scott was pissed. So the Professor thought he could just replace her?

"I don't need any help teaching my classes."

"Scott, I know how hard this must be for you, with everything happening so soon, but I assure you it's for the best. She'll be your assistant, so she can do as little or as much as you want her to."

"I don't want her doing anything. In fact, I don't even want her here!"

Now everyone was looking at him with pity, and he wanted to scream. He wanted to throw something. They thought he was so fragile, and no one had even tried to talk to him about what had happened all those months ago. They wanted to let him have some space. And it was driving him crazy.

Ororo walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Scott, my friend, I wish I could know what you are going through. But you have to give this girl a chance. Please."

He gave in. He knew if he didn't, things would get out of hand.

"Fine," he sighed, "maybe I was being unfair."

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. They all looked at it expectantly, waiting for it to open. A girl, with brown hair and brown eyes stepped through, looking nervous. She was pretty, in an average kind of way, and Scott was surprised he actually thought that at all. He was supposed to be hating her, wasn't he? She smiled at the Professor and he returned the affection.

"Ms. Winchester, I'd like you to meet your colleagues. This is Scott, Ororo, Logan, and Warren. Unfortunately Hank couldn't be here, he's gotten caught up in the med lab, as he often does but I'm sure you'll meet him later."

Scott almost laughed out loud. He assumed the real reason Hank wasn't there was because the Professor was worried about Rebecca's reaction. Not many people knew how to handle the shock of meeting a big blue furry guy for the first time.

"Well, now everyone's been introduced and filled in, perhaps you would all like to head down to dinner. I'll join you there shortly. Scott, could I have a word with you for a moment?"

Scott waited until the others had gone, and didn't feel the least bit guilty when he didn't return Rebecca's smile. Did she expect them to be best buddies or something? He shut the door and turned to face the Professor.

"What is it?" he asked, rather rudely.

"I couldn't help but hear you're thoughts during the last few minutes. She hasn't done anything wrong you know. If you want to blame someone blame me, I'm the one who invited her here."

"She didn't have to accept, Professor."

"It seems the offer was too good to refuse. Either way she's staying, and you're going to have to work with her tomorrow. Can you handle that?"

He didn't like this one bit. But in a way the Professor was right, he was stuck with this.

"I can handle it. But I don't have to like it."

The Professor sighed, and nodded somewhat reluctantly.

"That's all I can ask for right now I suppose. Are you going to join them for dinner?"

Scott shook his head. There was no way he wanted to socialize right now. He opened the door, and headed for the library. Maybe he'd get some peace there. As he grabbed his favorite book off the shelf, he tried not to think about anything that had happened this past day. Or about how attracted he found himself to the new girl.


	3. Chapter 3

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the event of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. The idea has been in my head for a while, and I thought why not write it? Let me know what you think, because there are plenty more chapters, and I will update as regularly as possible, although I'll have to fight my brother for the computer. All reviews are appreciated. Enjoy! Oh, and there will eventually be some romance, but I love my angst more, so it may take a while!

Chapter 3

Rebecca woke the next morning feeling like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. After meeting the others yesterday and having dinner with them, she'd begun to get suspicious. Ororo and Warren looked like teachers, but that Logan guy…he's the weirdest art teacher she's ever seen. And Rogue and Bobby, they weren't students anymore, but they still hung around.

Then, on her tour of the school, Ororo had said a few things that didn't quite make sense, and then tried to cover them up. She'd also introduced Hank McCoy, and once Rebecca had gotten over the shock of his appearance, she began to wonder what kind of school would hire a big furry doctor. So once she said goodnight, Rebecca went straight to Professor Xavier's office, and demanded to know what the hell was going on. And he'd told her.

He'd told her about the others, and how the children had affectionately named them the X-Men. He'd told her about the missions they went on, and how they tried to stop mutants that had taken the wrong path. He'd told her about their last mission to somewhere called Alkali Lake, and he'd told her about a woman called Jean Grey, and her sacrifice.

Once he'd finished, Rebecca had felt awful. She hadn't known how much suffering they'd gone through recently, and she'd made him bring it all up again for her own selfish reasons. He'd assured her that he was fine, and that now that she knew, she didn't have to worry about anymore secrets. So she'd gone to bed feeling terrible, and cried herself to sleep.

Now, as she showered and dressed, she understood why Scott had seemed distant. He had, after all, lost his fiancé only two months ago. And then she had arrived here. He probably thought she was trying to replace Jean. The only problem was, they had to work together now, and that's hard to do when the other person hates you. So she went down to have an early breakfast, and thought about what she could say to Scott, without getting him mad.

She didn't get much time to plan though, because Scott was already in the kitchen. Sitting at the bench, reading the paper, she noticed how tired he looked. She managed to find some juice in the fridge and poured herself a glass, then went and sat next to him. He didn't even acknowledge she was there. She decided to get this over with and turned to face him.

"Listen, I don't know if this has been your attitude to everyone lately, or if you just hate me for some reason. But the thing is, we have to work together now, and it's kind of hard if you won't talk to me. I'm truly sorry about what happened, but after everything you've been through, maybe you would've learned that the best way to get through this is to talk to your friends. And hopefully, one day, I can be one of your friends. The more the merrier, right?"

He didn't even move. She started to feel embarrassed, and was just about to get up and leave when he spoke.

"You're right. I haven't been fair, and I'm sorry. I guess the fact that you arrived here so soon after…it just threw me a little. I really am sorry."

Rebecca looked at him. She could just make out his eyes behind his glasses, and could tell he was sincere.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I forgive you. But maybe we can start fresh?"

He gave her a half-smile, and nodded. She started to feel a little better about things. She'd managed to not make an idiot out of herself in front of a cute guy. It was a start.

_Wait a minute, cute? Where the hell did that come from?_ she wondered.

She drained the rest of her juice, and avoided looking at him while she ignored the thoughts running through her head. She suddenly found the bench extremely interesting, and tried to imagine different shapes in the stains. She was so distracted she didn't realize he was talking to her for a few seconds.

"Oh, sorry, I zoned out for a minute there. What were you saying?"

He grinned again, and she blushed. She felt so stupid all of a sudden.

"It's ok, I do that all the time. I was just wondering if you wanted to help me get ready for the first class. I can show you how I do things, so you don't get confused. And we can work out what you're role can be."

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. As she followed him out of the kitchen, she told herself to get a grip.

♥♥♥♥♥

The rest of the day passed by pretty fast, and with no major disasters. Once the last class finished, she said goodbye to Scott, and hurried upstairs to get changed out of her sweaty clothes. It had been so hot in the classroom, she didn't know how she'd survived. She made a mental note not to wear a jumper tomorrow, and maybe a skirt instead of pants.

On her way downstairs, she passed the library. The door was slightly open, and the light from inside spilled out. Thinking someone had left the light on, she opened the door to switch it off. Scott was sitting in an armchair, reading an old book that looked like it might fall apart at any moment. She would've left him alone, but remembered that he'd skipped dinner last night.

"Hey. Thought you could hide in here, huh? Well guess what, it's not going to work. You're coming to have dinner with the rest of us, or else."

He looked up, and smiled at her. She grinned back, and waited for him to walk over. As he stood in front of her, the light caught his face, and she realized he'd shaved off the stubble that had been there this morning. She couldn't help but think how much nicer he looked now.

"Or else what?"

"Or else I'll think of something really painful to do to you."

He started laughing, and she couldnt help but join in.

"At least you Aussie's have a decent sense of humor. But seriously, before we go eat, I wanted to thank you."

"What for?"

"For being the first one to be honest about how much of a jerk I was being."

She blushed. She never had been very good at taking compliments.

"It's ok. Someone had to stop you. Now you coming to eat or what?"

He smiled at her, and followed her out the door. As they walked to the dining room in friendly silence, Rebecca kept reminding herself about what he'd been through. He was off limits. But that didn't mean she wasn't attracted. And boy was she attracted.

_Well, this should be interesting, _she thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the event of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. I know this chapter is long, but I loved it and couldn't stop writing. Hope you love it too. Reviews extremely appreciated.

Chapter 4

About a week after Rebecca arrived at the institute, the Professor arranged for her to start learning to control her powers. They were going to be using the Danger Room, as it was the best place for her to practice without interruptions. So, at the end of a particularly exhausting day, she made her way down to the lower levels until she reached a door marked DANGER. It slid open, and she stepped inside.

Sitting in the centre of the room, in his wheelchair, was the Professor. Scott stood next to him, in what she assumed was the X-men's uniforms. They didn't look too comfortable. He was also wearing his visor.

"Welcome to the Danger Room, Rebecca. For the first few lessons we won't use any of the simulations the room has to offer, as they may be too dangerous. Today will be a chance for you to use your powers, and try to control them better. How does that sound?"

Rebecca nodded. Once again she was overcome with nerves. She took a few calming breaths, and tried to relax. Again.

"Ok, we will start with something fairly simple. I understand you can turn yourself invisible, but what about other objects? Other people?"

"To be honest, I've never tried, Professor."

The Professor wheeled his chair back out of the way. "I want you to try and focus your energies on Scott's visor. Turn it invisible if you can. Scott, I'd recommended you close your eyes, just in case."

Scottnodded, and Rebecca could tell by the way his face moved that his eyes were firmly shut. She moved in front of him and put her hands on the sides of his visor. Taking a few deep breaths she closed her eyes, and focused on picturing the visor in her mind. Once she had a clear image of it, she imagined it disappearing. She opened her eyes, and gasped.

"Oh my god, it worked! It really worked!"

The Professor moved closer, and studied Scott's face. After a few moments, he smiled.

"Now, step back Rebecca. Scott, when I tell you, open your eyes."

"Professor, are you sure?"

"Yes. It's the only way to test it. Open your eyes, Scott."

He did, slowly. He blinked. Then he turned to face them. Rebecca almost fell over with surprise. His visor was nowhere to be seen, but his optic blasts were still held in check. His eyes, and his face, looked almost normal, except for his pupils glowing ruby red. Scott turned, trying to find a reflective surface, so he could see his face. He found one, and Rebecca could tell by his expression that he was as shocked as she felt.

"Wow," he said, staring at his reflection, "I look so different. Everything's still red though, Professor."

"Yes, unfortunately. Because your visor is still actually there, you will still be looking through it. It only appears invisible, but you can still use it as normal. Now for the next test. Once you've returned Scott's visor back to normal, I want you to try and make him invisible. His entire body, if you can."

"I can try, at least."

Again she stood in front of Scott, but she hesitated in making his visor visible again. She couldn't help but look at his eyes. Even though they were bright red, they still showed emotions, and he looked so happy. She must've taken a while, because he grabbed her hands and put them back on his visor, or at least where it should be.

"It's ok. At least I know it can be done. Next time I'm getting sick of my visor, I'll come find you."

He smiled at her, and she finally shook herself out of her trance. Willing herself to concentrate, she reversed the effect on the visor. Now came the hard part. Holding on to Scott's face, she used the same technique as before. She pictured him in her mind, standing as he was now. She willed that image to disappear. Hoping it had worked, she opened her eyes again. Scott wasn't in front of her. Her hands could feel him, but her eyes couldn't see him. It had worked again! The Professor came forward.

"This is amazing. Obviously your powers are much stronger than you thought. But I suppose you've never had to use them like this, have you? How do you feel, Scott?"

"Strange. I know I'm here, but I can't even see my own hand."

"Incredible. This power of yours could come in very handy, Rebecca. Ok, once you've brought Scott back, we'll try the final task."

She nodded, then realized a tiny problem.

"Um, Professor. How can I turn him back if I don't know where he is?"

She heard Scott laugh somewhere behind her. She spun around, and could suddenly smell his aftershave, he was so close. He grabbed her hands again and guided them to his face. She concentrated, and this time she somehow knew he was back to normal. She felt it in her mind. And sure enough, there he was, grinning like a schoolboy.

"Final task, Rebecca.We can't let you practice your healing powers, unless we harm somebody. Instead we will focus on yourmind reading.This one will be difficult, but I'm positive you can do it. I want you to try and read Scott's mind. Telepathy is your most powerful gift, and an important one too. You need to control it."

She shook her head. She didn't want to learn. Last time she'd tried to read someone's mind, she had ended up passed out on the floor. It was too much.

"Please Professor, I can't do it. There's too much risk."

"If you concentrate hard enough, you can do it. You have to try, my dear. Otherwise what is the point of these sessions?"

She sighed. He was right, but she was scared.

"Ok, I'll give it a go. I just hope nothing goes wrong."

"Alright. Scott, try and clear your mind of anything that may overwhelm her. We'll do the easy test, so think of a number and see if she can get it. All you have to do, Rebecca, is focus on getting the number out of Scott's head. Good luck."

She took a deep breath and turned to face Scott. She closed her eyes, and let down the barriers she'd had in place for so long. Focusing on Scott's mind, like the Professor said, she felt that old familiar pull as she entered another's thoughts. She focused on numbers. Anything with numbers. She found it. Just as she was about to tell the Professor, a powerful wave hit her. Literally.

She was standing in front of a massive black jet, with her hand out in front of her, holding back a massive wave of water. Only it wasn't really her. She was inside someone else's body. There was so much power in her, and she realized she was making the enormous jet behind her move. Suddenly, there was a voice coming from her, but it wasn't her own. It belonged to the body she was trapped inside.

"I know what I'm doing. This is the only way."

She heard Scott's voice, in her head, pleading with her.

"Jean? Listen to me…don't do this!"

But she had to do it, didn't he realize? If she didn't they were all doomed.

"Goodbye."

She felt his pain in her mind. Felt his heart breaking. But she knew what was needed from her. She lifted the jet above the flow of water. Then she let her defenses fall.

Suddenly it all stopped, and she was back in her own body, kneeling on the floor of the Danger Room, clutching her head. Someone was screaming. It took a while before she realized it was her. She started crying, great wracking sobs that shook her entire body. So much pain. She could hear Scott and the Professor nearby arguing.

"I told you to clear your mind!"

"I did, I swear, she must've found the memory by herself. Believe me, I've been burying it so deep. I never would've inflicted this on her, Professor."

"I know Scott, but somehow it's happened. The pain is too overwhelming for her. She's extremely fragile right now, so I'll ask you to escort her to her room, and make sure she's ok."

"Yes, sir."

She feltScott lift her up and throw one of her arms around his shoulder. Her head hurt too much to say anything. He took her up to her room, and waited for while she got changed. Then he made sure she climbed into bed without passing out. He grabbed the chair from the desk, and sat next to her bed.

"I really am sorry, Rebecca. I didn't realize how much that would hurt you. I tried clearing my mind as best I could, but I guess I'm still dealing with it all. This is all my fault."

He put his head in his hands. She felt so sorry for him in that moment. She reached out, even though it hurt, and put a hand on his knee. She coughed, trying to clear her throat, and spoke.

"It's not your fault Scott. I lost control. And then when all those emotions hit me it was too much. But now that I know what you're feeling, you an always talk to me. Nothing will shock me anymore. I promise."

"Thanks, Beck."

She would've commented that she liked the nickname, but she felt too exhausted. Within minutes she was fast asleep, but her hand was still resting on his knee. He covered her hand with his, and sat back to keep an eye on her.

He considered how much he had put this girl through this past week, whether it was intentional or not, and how she was still there after it all. She was amazing, that was for sure. And she wasn't going anywhere. Of course, he felt guilty for being attracted to her so soon after Jeans death, but wasn't that part of moving on?

He sat there for a long time, and eventually fell asleep in the chair. They're hands were still entwined, and both seemed to be peaceful. The only question was, how long would it last?


	5. Chapter 5

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the event of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

Thanks to my reviewers, but especially MyOrli. Everyone should check out her story New Friends: Old Enemies, coz it rocks!. This chapter is dedicated to you my friend!

Chapter 5

When Scott woke the next morning, he noticed two things. The first was that he had an extremely sore neck. The second was that he was sitting rather uncomfortably on a chair.

_That explains my neck, _he thought, and stretched it to get rid of the kinks.

As he stretched, he looked around, and realized that he wasn't in his own room. He suddenly remembered what had happened last night, and saw that Rebecca wasn't in her bed. Pausing to listen, he heard the shower running in the bathroom, and relaxed. Obviously she was fine.

He got up and walked around the room, noticing all the little touches she'd added to make it seem like home. There was a photo of what he assumed was her family on a cupboard, some posters on the walls,some CD's, and a photo album sitting on a shelf. He picked up the album and perched on the end of the bed, flicking through it. There were baby photos, and more shots of her family and friends. Towards the end of the book he noticed a lot of the photos were missing. They looked like they'd been torn out, and she'd been extremely angry when she'd done it.

"What are you doing?"

He spun round, and saw her looking at him with raised eyebrows. He'd been so caught up in the photos, he hadn't heard the shower turn off. She was dressed in a pair of black pants, and a bright red, low-cut, sleeveless top. Her hair was hanging around her face, dripping on the floor. Somehow he managed to speak.

"I was just looking at your baby photos. Very cute."

"Oh my god, I can't believe you saw those. They're awful! Give me that!"

He couldn't help but laugh as she lunged for the album. He held it above her head, and smiled down at her.

"How much is it worth?"

She grinned mischievously, and he suddenly felt nervous, unsure of what she was thinking. She moved up to whisper in his ear.

"Let's just say if you don't give it back, a rumor may start happening. One about why you spent the night here…"

He quickly gave her back the album. She started laughing.

"You're such an easy target."

As she put the album away, he went and sat down again. Those last few pages were bugging him. Who could she hate so much that she had to rip out their photos? She came and sat next to him, and started putting on her shoes. He decided it was now or never.

"Seriously, there were some nice photos in there, but I noticed some of them were missing. Bits of them were left behind. What happened?"

She froze. Obviously he'd hit a nerve. He started to regret asking, but she sighed and turned to him.

"It was an ex-boyfriend. I didn't really want to see his face anymore, so I burned his photos. And anything he gave me. Wish I could've set him on fire as well, but apparently that's illegal or something."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side. I'm sorry I brought it up."

She shrugged, and gave him a half-hearted smile.

"It's fine. Now, are you going to go shower or what? I don't want you stinking up the classroom."

He laughed, and nudged her playfully.

"I can take a hint. I'll meet you downstairs in about half an hour. Oh, and are you going to be wearing that top?"

She looked down, trying to see what he was talking about.

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason," he smirked, "but the boys might ask you to help them with their questions more than usual. Especially if you have to lean over."

He quickly shut the door, laughing to himself. The look on her face had been hysterical, and the threats she was yelling at his back just made him laugh harder.

♥♥♥♥♥

Twenty minutes later he was on his way downstairs. He was heading towards the kitchen when he saw Rebecca walking towards him. She had two cups of coffee in her hands.

"Here you go. Hope I made it right, I had to ask Ororo how you usually have it."

He looked at her suspiciously. Not even half an hour ago, she'd been abusing him, and now she's bringing him coffee. He made a show of sniffing the cup, as thought he was checking for something.

"What did you do to it? I haven't forgotten those threats you made."

"I didn't do anything, honest. If I was going to get you back, I'd do something better than poison your coffee."

He couldn't help but believe her. He started walking towards the classroom, and heard her following him. She was unusually quiet. He reached his desk, put down the coffee, and turned around to face her. She was perched on the edge of a table, staring into her cup.

"Earth to Beck. You want to tell me what's got you so quiet?"

She jumped a little andglanced up, chewing her bottom lip. He tried not to think about how cute she looked. Clearly something was upsetting her.

"It's just, when you asked about the missing photos, it brought up a lot of memories."

"I'm sorry, I was just being nosy. Did you want to talk about it? We've still got a while before class starts."

She nodded slowly, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. She sat down in one of the chairs, so he grabbed another and sat opposite her. She wouldn't look at him, and he felt horrible for making her bring this all back.

"He was my first boyfriend. I'd been with him for 6 months when my abilities started showing. My theory had always been that if you're in a relationship, you need to be honest. So I told him what was happening. What I could do."

"Let me guess, he freaked out? Thought you were some horrible monster or something?

She looked at him then, and shook her head. A tear trickled down her cheek.

"No. He was fine with it. Said he still loved me. But one day I wanted to know how much he loved me."

"You read his mind."

"Yeah, I risked it. And he did love me. Problem was he also loved my best friend. They'd been sneaking around for years behind my back. So I confronted them, and they didn't deny it. And that was it. I told him it was over. He wasn't too happy."

Scott was furious. Some idiot had cheated on her? He wanted to find this guy and kill him. He heard a sob, and realized she was crying. Instinctively he put his arms around her. She leaned into his shoulder, and he felt the dampness of her tears. He wasn't sure how long they sat like that, but he wasn't going to complain. Eventually she pulled away.

"God, I must look awful. I'll go wash my face, I'll be right back."

She got up and hurried out the door. He went back to his desk, and stated organizing what he would need for the lesson. His mind was racing with what he'd just been told. When she returned he studied her face. Apart from her eyes being slightly red, she looked beautiful.

"You don't have to help me today if you don't feel up to it. I can clear it with the Professor."

"I'm ok now, Scott. Trust me. And thanks, for letting me get all that stuff out."

"No problem."

The door opened, and students started filing in. He looked at Rebecca, and she smiled. He started talking to the class, and tried to get his mind off how much he'd enjoyed having her in his arms, even if she had been upset.


	6. Chapter 6

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the event of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

This chapter is extremely long (again) but I hope you like it! Also, if Scott and Logan seem OOC, it's my interpretation of how they would be after Jean's death. They've put aside their differences.

Chapter 6

One week later, Scott Summers sat in the Professors office in stunned silence. What the Professor was proposing was insane. The problem was, everyone else seemed to like the idea. He had to talk them out of it.

"No way. A Halloween party? Are you crazy?"

The Professor chuckled, and Scott knew this was a battle he couldn't win.

"Occasionally I have been referred to as crazy, but I assure you I'm not. A Halloween ball is exactly what the students need to release some pent-up energy."

"I know, it's just…do we have to wear costumes? I don't really feel like dressing up as a pumpkin or something."

Logan burst out laughing. He heard someone giggling to his left, and turned to see Rebecca holding a hand over her mouth, trying to look serious. The Professor even had a grin on his face.

"Even though you would make a delightful pumpkin, you don't have to dress up. It's up to each person individually. Halloween is a chance for the students, and the teachers, to have fun."

"Fine. But if the students get out of hand, don't say I didn't warn you. When were you planning on having this party, Professor?"

"Well, Halloween is tomorrow night, so how about then? The students don't have classes the next day, so they can stay up later than usual. That applies to us as well I suppose."

After explaining what he wanted each of them to do to help prepare for the ball, they filed out of the office. As Scott was walking, he felt someone grab his arm, and looked up to see Rebecca pulling him into the nearest classroom.

"So, what's your costume going to be?"

"I'm not wearing a costume, Beck."

"Oh, yes you are, "she said with a grin, "otherwise who's going to pair up with me?"

He frowned. He had no idea what she was talking about. She rolled her eyes.

"Come on! Halloween in Australia was awful. Nobody dressed up or anything. Now I get a chance to, and you're not going to ruin it. Even if I have to buy your outfit myself."

She had a way of persuading people.

"Fine, but nothing too stupid. If I look ridiculous, I will kill you."

"You've got nothing to worry about. I'm going shopping with Rogue and Jubilee tomorrow morning, and I'll bring you your clothes. We'll have you looking gorgeous in no time!"

She winked and walked off to start preparing for the party. He shook his head, and tried to focus on what he was meant to be doing. It was going to be a very interesting ball.

♥♥♥♥♥

The time until the ball passed quickly. Too quickly, according to Scott. Rebecca had given him his costume earlier, and told him to meet her at her room before the party. Apparently she had a similar outfit. He sighed, and got out of the shower. For some reason he just couldn't say no to that girl.

He put on his outfit, and looked in the mirror. As much as it pained him to admit it, it didn't lookhalf bad. The black leather pants weren't something he'd normally wear, but they were comfortable. The t-shirt clung to his torso, and the long coat hung down in just the right way. He didn't know why it was all black, but he was curious to see what Beck's costume looked like. He wouldn't have to wait long however, as there was a knock at his door.

"Scott? It's Beck. Let me in!"

"I thought I was supposed to meet you at your room?"

"I changed my mind, open the door!"

He did as she asked, and couldn't help but laugh. She had on a long fluffy dressing gown that was obviously meant to hide her costume. He noticed she'd dyed her hair black, and her make-up was slightly gothic looking. She squeezed past him into the room, and turned around to survey his outfit. He tried not to notice the way her eyes roamed over his body.

"See, what did I tell you? Gorgeous."

"Thanks. I hope that gown isn't your outfit. Not that it doesn't look nice, pink is a great color on you."

She rolled her eyes, and went and sat on his bed. She stared at the floor.

"Um, about my costume. I'm starting to have second thoughts. I don't know if I should wear it."

"What? After you forced me into this get-up? No way, you're not getting out of this one. Take off the gown, it can't be that bad."

"I didn't say it was bad, I'm just not sure if i should..."

She took off the gown. Scott nearly fell over. She was wearing shiny black leather pants, and black boots. Her top was made out of the same material as the pants, and showed off her flat stomach. Paired with the black-hair and dark make-up, she looked amazing. He knew his mouth was hanging open, but he didn't care.

"Uh, Scott? You want to say something? I'm feeling kind of exposed here."

"Can't imagine why," he said with a smirk, "wouldn't be all that bare skin, would it?"

She blushed, and went to put the gown back on. He grabbed it out of her hands.

"Don't you dare. I was just teasing, you look fantastic."

"But if everyone keeps staring at me the way you are, the nights just going to be awkward."

He'd been staring? He forced himself to blink. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he looked into her eyes.

"If everyone's staring at you, it's only because you look…"

"Look what," she asked, worry showing in her eyes.

"Well, sexy is a word I could use. You should be glad they're looking at you. With all the effort you've put into this outfit, you deserve it."

She blushed again. Then she grinned, and his knees went week. She grabbed his hand, and after checking the coast was clear, they walked into the corridor. On the way downstairs, he forced himself not to look at her too much. He knew she was uncomfortable, so she didn't need him checking her out. Not yet, anyway.

As they went to enter the party, she stopped. He knew she was calming herself down before they went any further. Finally she squeezed his hand, and they walked through the doors.

A few people turned to the door to see who had entered, and Scott almost laughed at their expressions. As they walked further into the room, more and more people started to notice them. Beck quickly dragged him over to a table where Ororo and Logan were sitting. As they approached Logan spotted them, and whispered something to Ororo before giving Scott a wink. They sat down at the table, and Beck buried her face in her hands.

"Wow, Cyke, that's a different look for you."

"Thanks Logan. I see you don't have a costume yourself."

"Yeah, figured I was scary enough without it."

Ororo was looking at Rebecca with a hint of amusement. Then she looked at Scott, and he thought he saw a flicker of understanding flash through her eyes. He made a mental note to ask her about that tomorrow.

"Matching outfits,that's very sweet. Rebecca, you don't have to be shy. People just aren't used to seeing you dressed like this. Trust me, they won't stare at you all night. They were just a little shocked."

Rebecca still didn't move her head, so Scott thought he'd give it a go. He bent over to whisper in her ear.

"Beck, I know you're freaking out. But there's no reason to. You look amazing, and you're meant to be having fun. So relax. Who cares what everyone thinks? They're probably just jealous that they didn't think of an outfit as good as yours."

He heard her mumble something, and he laughed.

"I can't hear you, Beck."

She looked up at him, a pink flush on her face and neck. He forced himself not to look any lower.

"I said, you can stop going on about it. You're just making it worse. I'll be fine."

He laughed. She had her attitude back, so he knew she was back to normal. Logan got up to go get them all drinks. Scott saw Bobby and Rogue dancing, and the Professor and Hank sitting at another table, laughing at something amusing. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Here you go guys, but I'll warn you. Someone's spiked the punch. Not that I mind."

Beck said something about her being underage, but they shrugged it off. It was a night of fun after all. It's not like she'd be getting drunk or anything.

♥♥♥♥♥

A few hours later they realized they were wrong. She'd only had a couple of glasses of punch, but obviously she couldn't handle the alcohol too well. The night was almost over, so Scott decided to take her back to her room. After saying goodbye to everyone, he supported Beck up the stairs. She was giggling at nothing the entire time.

_Thank god she's a happy drunk, _he thought.

Once they reached her room, he struggled to open the door. Finally the knob turned, and he got her down onto the bed. He pried her arms from around his neck, and told her to get some sleep. He was just about to close the door behind him when he heard her speak.

"Don't leave."

"Beck, I can't stay here again. That chairs the most uncomfortable thing to sleep on."

"So sleep on the bed. I don't mind, there's plenty of room."

He sighed. As tempting as her offer was, he had to refuse. He'd had a few too many drinks himself, even though he was handling it better. He wasn't sure how he could handle being so close to her. And he didn't want to think where that could lead.

"No. You're drunk Beck, you don't know what you're saying. Get some sleep."

She got up off the bed, and stormed over. Her eyes were flashing with anger.

"I know exactly what I'm saying. You're just too stupid to take the offer."

He shook his head. Why did she have to be right? Only he wasn't being stupid, he was being smart. If anything was ever going to happen between, he didn't want it to be like this.

"Goodnight Beck."

He turned to leave but she grabbed his arm, and pulled him back to face her. Before he could say anything her lips were on his. For a minute he lost control. She tasted so good. Suddenly he was kissing her back, and he didn't want to stop. It felt so right, so perfect.

He heard her moan softly, and reality flooded back to him. Even thought it killed him, he pushed her away. She seemed to realize what had happened and put her hand over her mouth.

"Oh, god! Scott, I'm so sorry."

He believed her, but he was still angry. Mainly at himself, that he'd allowed himself to get caught up in the moment. He needed to get out of there, fast.

"I'll see you in the morning, Beck. Get some rest."

He left, and didn't even turn back when he heard her crying. He was too wrapped up in his thoughts.

_She was drunk, and you took advantage of her! She probably didn't even want to kiss you, you led her on. _

As he reached his room, he felt like screaming. What would he do if tomorrow she hated him? He had probably ruined any chance he'd ever had with her. Somehow that hurt most of all.


	7. Chapter 7

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the event of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Keep them coming!

Chapter 7

Rebecca woke the next morning with a screaming headache. She felt like she'd barely slept. She stumbled from her bed to the bathroom, and turned on the shower. She climbed in and let the scalding water wash over her. As the steam and the heat cleared her mind, she remembered the previous night, and suddenly realised the cause of her headache. She was hung over.

As she dressed, she recalled the events of the Halloween party, and what had happened afterwards. She remembered being brought upstairs by Scott. She remembered asking him to stay, and him refusing. And she remembered kissing him.

_Oh god, what have I done? He'll probably never want to talk to me again. How do I face him?_

She decided the best thing to do was act as though she had no memory of what had happened. If he wanted to talk about it, he could bring it up. She put on a pair of sunglasses to stop the light worsening her headache, and set off to find Scott.

As she rounded the corner, caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice somebody blocking her way until it was too late. She ran straight into them, bounced off and barely stopped herself falling on her butt. She looked up to see Warren gazing at her with amusement. He was dressed in his X-Men uniform, and she remembered him being sent to take care of some things by the Professor a few days ago.

"Sorry Warren, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright," he chuckled, "nothing to worry about. What's with the shades?"

"Oh, I had a bit of a rough night. Got a headache."

"Uh-huh…whatever you say."

She decided to change the subject, fast.

"I'm looking for Scott, have you seen him?"

"Yeah, he's outside, I saw him on my way in. I'll talk to you later, I need to see the Professor."

After saying goodbye, Rebecca hurried outside. The light temporarily blinded her, but she recovered quickly. Like Warren had said, Scott was sitting underneath a tree, watching some of the younger kids run around. Her stomach churned at the thought of that much movement. She walked up behind him.

"Mind if I join you?"

He jumped a little, but covered it well. He didn't turn around, and she began to wonder if this was such a smart idea.

"Go ahead."

She smiled, and lowered herself carefully onto the ground beside him. Her head throbbed for a moment and she leaned against the tree for support. Once the ache dulled down, she turned to face him. He looked as bad as she felt, but she had to ask him about it. See if he was going to bring it up or not.

"Um, this might sound strange, but I'll ask it anyway. Did I do anything stupid last night?"

"What do you mean? Don't you remember any of it?"

"I remember having a drink with you guys, and then waking up this morning. The rest is a complete blank."

He studied her for a moment, and even through the ruby lenses of his glasses, she felt vulnerable. Like he knew she was lying. He shook his head.

"No Beck, you didn't do anything stupid. You got drunk, and I took you up to your room. That's all."

So, he wasn't going to bring it up then. That was fine with her.

"Good. I just didn't feel like having everybody laughing at me or something, you know? So…how come you're sitting out here all alone?"

"I was thinking, actually. I had a lot on my mind, and thought the fresh air might help."

She knew she should have left him alone, but her inquisitive side got the better of her. She couldn't help it, he was so intriguing.

"And is it helping?"

"Kind of," he shrugged.

"Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to, feel free to tell me to get lost or whatever."

He gave a small laugh, and she felt better. Maybe things wouldn't change between them after all.

"It's just…I used to have nightmares every night, about Jean. Ever since she died I haven't had a decent nights sleep. But last night, there was no bad dream. There was nothing, it's like they've just sopped all of a sudden."

"And you felt guilty, right? You think it means you've forgotten about her?"

"Yeah."

She reached over and put her hand on his. For a moment it looked as though he might pull it away, but he didn't.

"Scott, you'll never forget about her. She'll always be a part of you and you'll always love her. But you're moving on. Just because you're not thinking of her every second of every day…"

"But I should be. She loved me, I can't just turn my back on her! Even if I'm feeling…things, I just can't."

"You're not turning your back on her. You're living you're life, and that's probably what she would have wanted. I'm sure she'd have hated for you to sit around moping all the time. Because to be honest, it's no fun. And she'd want you to have fun, to meet someone new, whatever. Don't waste your life, Scott."

He nodded, too overcome with emotions to speak. She went to stand, and give him some peace, but her head started spinning and she fell back against the tree, willing it to stop. She groaned and closed her eyes, hoping the pain would go away.

"Are you ok?"

She was startled by how close his voice sounded, and opened her eyes a crack to see him peering at her with concern.

"I'm fine, it's just alcohol and me don't mix very well. I think I'll just sit here for a while, until my head comes back from vacation, however long that may be."

She closed her eyes again, and heard him laughing. She tried to give him a nudge on the arm, but missed and only hit air. She felt him put his arm around her, and pull her towards him so her head rested on his shoulder.

"Just relax or you'll make your headache worse. We can sit here for a while, and once you feel up to moving we'll go inside, alright?"

"But it's so peaceful here. And comfy, too. I could stay like this forever."

She felt him rest his head on top of hers, and she snuggled down into his chest, wrapping her arm around him. She was so warm and sleepy that she never wanted to move. She felt safe, like nothing could hurt her while she was with him.

She realized that even though they'd put that one kiss behind them, there was still no denying she wanted him. She just wasn't sure how he felt. She was so comfortable, that she started to drift off to sleep, and didn't hear him whisper to her.

"You're the reason I'm moving on, Beck. And hopefully this time, I won't make the same mistakes I did with Jean, like letting her think I didn't care that another guy was hitting on her. I just don't know how to approach these feelings I have for you. They're overwhelming. But I promise, eventually, this will work out.

If she had of heard him, it probably would have answered her question.


	8. Chapter 8

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

Thanks for the reviews! Oh and MyOrli, you may have noticed I changed this chapter. It's not what it was originally going to be. But I kind of like this better :)

**Chapter 8**

That night the Professor had requested Rebecca come to the Danger Room for another training session. She had already mastered her invisibility powers, and could now read minds if she concentrated hard enough. She still kept her shields up, mainly out of habit, but also because she knew that if she didn't, she could end up with one hell of a headache.

Her ability to heal people hadn't been tested much, she'd only tried fixing scrapes and grazes on the younger kids. They weren't sure if she could cure anything major, like a gunshot wound. She'd also been learning how to fight. Some of the others had taught herany movesthey knew.

She entered the Danger Room, dressed in comfortable clothing like the Professor had asked. Scott was there again, in his X-Men uniform. He smiled at her in a reassuring way. The Professor was nowhere to be seen. She was just about to ask Scott what was going on when she heard Xavier's voice coming from a speaker on the wall. She turned around, and could see him in a booth suspended on the wall above the floor.

"Good evening, Rebecca. Tonight we're going to use one of the simulations of the Danger Room. It's only a basic one, so no need to panic. Scott will help you as best he can. The simulation will be based on both of your abilities, to make it trickier."

Her stomach dropped. There was no way she was ready for this. The Professor continued his speech.

"Now, Scott has a uniform for you to put on. It will protect you more than your clothes will. Remember, nothing in this room can seriously harm you, it's just a test of your abilities. Once you've gotten changed, return here and we will begin."

She turned around and sure enough Scott had a uniform for her. She looked at the tight black leather and groaned. How was she going to squeeze into that? Her displeasure must have shown on her face, because she heard Scott laugh. She snatched the uniform from him, and went to get changed.

Ten minutes later she returned, packed into the constricting outfit. She could barely move, or breathe. It had taken her a full five minutes to just get her legs into it. She knew it must be showing off every unwanted curve in her body. The zip didn't even come all the way up to her neck, which was uncomfortable. How was she supposed to do anything if she was afraid of falling out of her top?

She turned to face Scott, and noticed his mouth was hanging open slightly. Even with his glasses on she knew what he was looking at. She raised her eyebrows and cleared her throat to get his attention…up to her face, anyway. He tried to look innocent. The Professor broke the awkward silence.

"Ok, now that you're ready, we will begin. Try to remain calm, and follow your instincts. Good luck."

With that, the room around them began to shift and change into something else. The tiled floor became rocks, the walls became air. They were in the middle of nowhere surrounded by soldiers. But these soldiers weren't your regular kind. They were mutants. Ten against two…they were surrounded.

Reacting on instinct, like the Professor had said, she became invisible. Scott was already blasting soldiers with his optic beams. She raced around behind two of the mutants and smashed their heads together. They crumpled to the ground instantly. She looked around. Six down, four to go.

Scott was taking on a particularly ugly guy who had forced him to go hand to hand. The other three were waiting for their chance to take him on, and had completely forgotten about her. That was just what she wanted. She snuck up behind a pink skinned woman, and kicked her legs out from under her. Before she had a chance to get up, Beck kicked the mutant in the face. She was out cold.

She turned around just in time to see Scott land a hard punch in his opponents face. He hit the ground and didn't move. Two left. She went to get a furry orange guy, and didn't realize that Scott couldn't see her. She didn't hear him call out either. Before she knew what was happening, Scotts optic beams hit the mutants, as well as her, and sent her flying across the ground. Luckily Scott had held back, and his blast hadn't been as dangerous as it normally would have. She hit the ground with a thump that knocked the wind out of her.

She must've become visible again when the blast had hit her because Scott came rushing over. She was vaguely aware that the Danger Room was returning to normal. She tried to sit up, but cried out in pain when she put weight on her left arm. Scott took her arm in his hands are started checking it over.

"God, I'm so sorry Beck, I didn't realize where you were. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I think it's just my arm. And it's not your fault. I should have kept in contact with you."

He moved her arm, and the pain was unbearable. She bit her lip to keep from screaming.

"It looks like your wrist is busted. You landed on it pretty hard. I'll take you to Hank to have it looked at. He might be able to fix those cuts on your face too."

She hadn't even noticed she was bleeding. She moved her uninjured hand up, and wiped the blood away before it went into her eyes. As Scott helped her up, the Professor entered the room. His gaze was fixed on Scott, and she knew they were having a psychic conversation. The Professor nodded at Scott, then spoke.

"Take her to Hank immediately. Once you're feeling up to it Rebecca, I'll need to talk to you both about what went wrong. For the moment though, you need medical attention."

Scott helped her walk out of the danger room and into the infirmary. As he explained what had happened to Hank, she got changed andshe lowered herself onto on of the beds. Scott paced the room the entire time she was examined. Half an hour later, they were done. Hank gave her some pills to take before bed for the pain, and told her to rest.

She began walking out the doors, and realized Scott wasn't following her. She paused and heard him having a heated conversation with Hank in his office. She couldn't make out what was being said, so she decided to wait for Scott. She didn't have to wait long however, as a few minutes later he came storming out. She could tell by the set of his jaw that he was either extremely angry or upset. Maybe both.

He walked past her and into the elevator. She followed him in. He didn't speak the entire time it took them to get upstairs. Once the doors opened, he walked out and started heading to the kitchen. She stood there for a few moments, and then decided to follow him. She entered the kitchen, and saw him sitting at the table, his head in his hands and a beer in front of him. She carefully lowered herself into a chair next to him.

"Scott? What's wrong?"

He turned to her, and he looked angry.

"What's wrong? In case you haven't noticed, you're sitting there with a busted arm and your face full of stitches. And it's my fault."

"No, it's not your fault. Why would you say that?"

"Because Hank thinks it is. And I'm pretty sure the Professor does too. They think I was being reckless, and not paying attention."

"Scott, this is ridiculous. Once we explain to the Professor, he'll realize it was a simple mistake. And Hank…well if it's to do with something medical, you know how he gets. The important thing is I don't think it's because of you. And you shouldn't either."

He shook his head, and had another long drink of his beer.

"That's not the point, Beck. I don't care if it was my fault. You're ok, so there's really nothing to worry about…."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Me," he sighed, "I did get bit reckless in there. I admit it. It's just the place we were in reminded me so much of Alkali Lake, and Jean. And I just took out my anger on the other guys. And it ended up hurting someone I care about."

"Scott…"

"No. Don't tell me that it's ok. What if it happens again? What if everytime we end up somewhere like that I start thinking about Jean, and become dangerous?"

Beck shook her head. He was in a downward spiral and it needed to be stopped.

"That's not going to happen, Scott. We can all help you learn to control it, all you've got to do is ask."

He got up and grabbed another beer from the fridge. He finished it in three mouthfuls. She got up, and went to stop him from grabbing another one, but he pushed her hand away.

"Scott, put the beer back. You're just making it worse."

"You're not exactly one to preach about proper consumption of alcohol."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shook his head, and leant back against the counter top. He refused to look at her.

"Nothing. I'm sorry. I just…it's becoming a pattern with me."

"What is?"

"Hurting the women I love. It always happens, and then I lose them. I'm tired of it. Why can't things ever work?"

Beck couldn't speak. The rational part of her brain was telling her that he was drunk, and upset, and he didn't know what he was saying. The crazy part however, was telling her the exact opposite.

She watched his face as he stood there, and he suddenly seemed to realize what he had said. He slowly turned to face her. She knew her expression was one of shock. She finally found her voice.

"What did you say?"

He suddenly stood up, and put his empty bottles in the trash.

"Uh, look, it's getting kind of late, and I'm tired. You should get some rest too. I'm really sorry about your arm. I'll see you in the morning, ok?"

He went to walk past her, but she grabbed his arm.

"No, not ok. Tell me what you said."

"I can't Beck…not now. It's too hard. I'm sorry."

He yanked his arm away, and rushed out of the room. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, but eventually she shook herself out of her daze, and went upstairs. She reached Scott's room, and stopped. She knew she was torturing herself, but she had to know if she'd heard him right. She knocked on the door, but there was no reply. She tried the handle, and it opened easily. The room was dark, and Scott was nowhere to be found.

She sighed. She didn't feel like chasing him around the house all night, so she left, and went to her own room. After taking the pills like Hank had said, she collapsed onto her bed. She fell asleep instantly,but couldn't escape the nightmares that chased her in her dreams.


	9. Chapter 9

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others? Will be Scott/OC.

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

Thanks for the reviews! Also if Logan and Scott again seem out of character, it's my interpretation of them after Jean's death. They've put side their differences, and are actually getting along fine. Loved writing this chapter, can you guess why?

**MyOrli**: been sending you PM's, hope you're getting them. Would love to hear from you! Next chapter ain't written, but it's in my head, lol! Should be on paper soon...well, not literally :)

**Chapter 9**

The next morning Scott headed into the kitchen. He had spent most of the night walking the grounds of the mansion, trying to clear his head. Eventually he had been tired enough to go to his room and fall asleep. He didn't know what to expect today, especially after his little drunken slip last night. Thankfully, the only other person in the kitchen was Logan.

"Hey Logan. How's it going?"

"Better than you it seems. I heard about what happened last night, in the Danger Room."

Scott nodded. Of course everyone would know. You can't keep anything secret in a school full of teenagers.

"Yeah, it was a bit of a disaster."

"How's the girl doing? Heard she got a busted arm or something…then again I heard it from a group of girls whispering in the hallway, so…"

"They're right, about the arm anyway. And she's got a few scratches on her face, but Hank stitched them up. I haven't seen her this morning though, so I don't know how she's feeling. And I don't even know if she'll tell me…we, uh, kind of had a small argument last night."

Logan frowned. He was just about to say something, when Rebecca walked in. She glanced at Scott, and then looked away quickly. That pretty much answered his questions. He watched her as she poured a glass of juice one-handed, feeling guilty the whole time. He was so busy blaming himself, he didn't realize she was talking to Logan.

"I'm doing alright. The pills Hank gave me work pretty well. Although I learnt how hard it is to shower one-handed while trying not to get the plaster wet. Anyway, I'll see you later, there's something I need to do."

Scott was trying not to think about Beck in the shower. Logan snapped him out of it.

"Ouch. I guess she ain't talking to ya. What did you fight about?"

"I'd had a few drinks, and I was upset about hurting her in the Danger Room. And she's trying to convince me it wasn't my fault and that she didn't blame me. It didn't work, I was too out of it. She told me to stop drinking, and I…."

"You what?"

"I told her that I always hurt the women I love, and that nothing will ever work for me. I didn't mean to, it just slipped out."

Logan looked shocked.

"So why's she mad? You'd think it's exactly what she wanted to hear."

"You can't know that, Logan. And besides, I kind of freaked after I'd said it and took off. She probably thinks I want to take it back. Which I do…well, I just wish I'd said it at a better time."

"So she thinks you said it while you were drunk, and that you didn't mean it. And you know that you did mean it, you just didn't want to say it that way. Huh…it's like a soap opera. Well, I suggest you go talk to her and explain it all."

As weird as it was to hear Logan spouting advice, Scott knew he was right. He just wasn't sure Beck would even listen to what he had to say. His thoughts were again interrupted, this time by the Professor.

_Scott, I need to see you in my office, to discuss last night's mishap. Can you find Rebecca and bring her along too?_

At least he now had an excuse for her to have to talk to him. He just hoped she wasn't so mad that she blamed him for the accident now. He said goodbye to Logan and set off in search of Beck.

♥♥♥♥♥

He eventually found her outside sitting on a bench, writing in a book. She hadn't looked at him when he spoke to her, but she had followed him to Xavier's office. Now they were both seated in front of the Professor's desk with all kinds of questions being thrown at them. Scott had told the Professor his version of what happened, and now it was Beck's turn. Surprisingly, she told him that it was an accident, and wasn't anyone's fault. After even more questions, they were allowed to leave.

Once in the hallway, she pushed past him and started walking back outside. He wasn't sure whether to follow her or give her some space, but eventually decided on the latter, and went to the library for some peace.

He tried reading, but couldn't seem to focus. He didn't feel right, having her mad at him. He'd never meant to hurt her, he just hadn't meant to say what he did…not for a while anyway. And now she wasn't talking to him. He stayed in the library for a long time, and decided to skip dinner. He didn't feel like being sociable. He went back up to his room to take a shower, just for something to do.

As he reached the door, he noticed an envelope stuck to it, addressed to him. He grabbed it and went inside. Sitting on his bed he opened the letter. He recognized the writing immediately, and didn't even have to look at the end to see who it came from.

_Scott,_

_Last night confused me. I've never seen you so out of it or angry. And the fact that you were drinking so much...well, can you really blame me for being upset? You said some things, I don't know if you remember them or not. And I don't know if they were true. But I'm going to forget it ever happened, because if I don't…I'll just be setting myself up to get hurt. And if I keep thinking about it, and trying to understand, I'll go insane. I'm sorry, for everything._

Scott put the letter on the bed next to him. He was even more confused now than he had been before. He'd thought she would want to know how he felt, but now she didn't wan to think about it? What did that mean? He decided he had to go set the record straight with her.

♥♥♥♥♥

He knocked on her door and waited. Eventually she opened it, but when she saw it was him she tried to close it again. He forced his way inside. He noticed her eyes were red and bloodshot. It looked like she'd been crying.

"Scott, please, go away."

"No. Not until we sort some things out. I can't keep having you mad at me, Beck."

"There's nothing to sort out. Leave me alone."

She went to hide in the bathroom, but he put his hand on her shoulder to stop her. She froze. He stepped around to look her in the eyes, but she had hers closed.

"Beck, look at me. I didn't mean to upset you, honest. And yeah, last night was stupid, I shouldn't have had those drinks. Because now it means you don't believe me."

"You were drunk, Scott. You didn't mean anything you said, you were just beating yourself up and I got dragged into it. I told you, I don't want to talk about this."

He sighed. She was frustrating him, that was for sure.

"I don't know what you want me to say. That I was being stupid and it was all lies? I can't, because that's not true. I did mean what I said. I wasn't drunk…well, not completely."

He walked over and sat on her bed, resting his head in his hands.

"Don't say that Scott. Tell me you didn't mean it, tell me you thought you were talking to someone else! Anything! Please!"

He looked up to see tears streaming down her face. He rushed over and helped her sit down on the bed, then knelt in front of her.

"Why? Why should I say that? Why don't you want to believe me?"

"Because it can't be true. You can't feel anything for me…"

"To be honest, I don't know what I feel, Beck. I just know it's something. And all I meant last night was that I'm too screwed up right now to even think of doing anything about it. Which you've probably figured out yourself. And the reason I freaked was because I hadn't meant to say it that way, the drinks just made me blunter. And I wasn't sure how you'd react."

He wiped the tears off her cheek, and she finally looked at him properly. He could see all the hurt and the confusion in her eyes. He pulled her into a hug. She tensed up at first, then relaxed and cried into his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry for all of this, Beck. I didn't mean for it to happen this way, and I didn't want to hurt you. I just…after Jean, I want to take things slowly. I don't want to lose anyone else."

He felt her nod her head, and let her go. She wiped her eyes. She looked like she was struggling to say something. He gave her a small smile.

"Scott…last night, when you rushed off, I thought that you wanted to take it all back. Everything that you'd said. That why I was upset, and confused. I didn't know what was happening. And then I avoided you today, because I thought you might say it was all a mistake, and I couldn't handle that. I didn't want you to take it back."

Realization dawned on him. She felt it too. He studied her face, and her eyes, and knew she was telling the truth.

"Beck…"

"Wait. I need to say this now or I never will. I understand you're still dealing with things, and I'm fine with taking it slow. Just so long as we don't go backwards, ok? Because I don't think I coulddeal withthat."

He nodded, too stunned to speak. She'd just admitted she had feelings for him. He finally had his answer, and he wasn't sure what to do. Beck was staring at the floor, a pink flush on her face. She looked beautiful, even thought shed been crying most of the day. He pulled her into another hug, but this time there was something different there.

It hadn't been intended for comfort, he'd just wanted to hold her. But there was a spark, and things became charged. Her hair smelled like shampoo, and he couldn't stop himself from inhaling the scent. He heard her sigh, and pulled away to look at her face. There was a sparkle in her eyes, that hadn't been there before. She looked at him and bit her lip, and he couldn't take it.

_To hell with slow, _he thought.

He started to lean towards her, and at first he thought she would pull away. But she didn't. Their lips were almost touching, he was breathing her air. So close…

BANG!

He jumped, and so did she. The door had burst open, and Logan was standing there.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but we need you in the kitchen Cyke. Some of the kids have started a fight, and its getting pretty heated. They ain't listening to me."

He gave them a knowing look, then walked off. Scott realized he still had his arms around Beck. He untangled himself, and stood up.

"I should really go take care of this. I can come back later, if you want."

"No, that's ok. I was going to take a bath, to relax. I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah, alright. Goodnight Beck."

"Goodnight."

He turned and left, shutting the door behind him. He hoped the fighting downstairs would keep him from wondering about Beck in the bath. He couldn't believe he'd almost kissed her, after everything he'd said. As he drew closer to the kitchen, the sound of things breaking reached him. A good brawl was just what he needed to distract him.


	10. Chapter 10

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all! I had a lot of trouble with this chapter, couldn't figure out what to write. Damn writers block. Also family troubles kept me away from the computer. So, I'm sorry about the long wait, but to make it up to you I will post the next chapter ASAP!

**Chapter 10**

One week after their little chat, Scott and Rebecca were in the lounge watching TV. It had been a particularly exhausting day, and they were enjoying the chance to relax. Since they had admitted how they felt about each other nothing had really changed. They flirted more, and were comfortable together, but they were still taking it slow.

Suddenly the phone rang. Scott got up to answer it, wondering who would be calling at this hour.

"Hello?"

"_Hi, I'm calling to speak to Rebecca Winchester. This is her brother."_

"Um, alright, I'll get her for you."

He placed the phone on the table and turned to face Beck. She'd been at the mansion so long that he had forgotten she had a whole otherlife back in Australia.

"Beck, phones for you. It's your brother."

He took the puzzled look on her face as a sign that she hadn't been expecting the call. She got up off the couch somewhat awkwardly due to her plastered arm, and walked over.

"Did he say why he called?"

"Nope. I'll go get us some drinks, give you some privacy."

She nodded and picked up the phone. Scott went into the kitchen and grabbed some sodas. He sat at the table and tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation. After a few minutes he thought he heard her say goodbye, so he went back to the lounge. She was sitting on the couch, staring at the carpet. She glanced up when Scott handed her a drink.

"So, judging by your expression, it wasn't just a call to see how you were."

"Not really. He rang to tell me that he proposed to his girlfriend last night. She said yes,so they're going to have an engagement party, and he was hoping I could be there."

"Oh. Do you want to go?"

"Of course I do, it's my family. But I've been here so long that you guys are like my family too. And I guess it'd depend on if it's ok for me to take some time off."

He knew what she meant. And as much as he didn't want her to leave, this party was a big deal. He didn't want her to miss out on it.

"You should ask the professor in the morning, see what he says."

She nodded. He put his arm around her and let her rest her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while. Eventually she said she was going to bed. He walked her up to her room.

"Beck, I know you've got a tough decision to make, but if it were me, I'd want to see my family. And I'm sure we can manage here without you for a week."

"I know. I'd just miss everybody. But like you said, it's only a week. Just don't go finding some hot new girl while I'm gone, ok?"

"Beck," he laughed, "you really don't need to worry about that. Nobody's hotter than you."

She smiled, and a pink flush crept up her face. He pulled her into a hug. He had to make sure she wasn't going to stress the entire time she was gone.

"Is that what you're concerned about? That I'll have found somebody else while you're gone?"

"No…well, yes. I know it's stupid, but I can't help it. I mean, things haven't exactly gone smoothly with us. And there isn't even really an _us _yet."

He frowned, and pulled away to look at her. She was staring at the floor.

"What do you mean? Are things going to slow?"

"I'm not sure," she shrugged, "I've never been in this situation. I just really like you, and sometimes I wish that things were a bit more…I don't know. It's been a week and the only thing we've done is snuggle on the couch. And that was only when nobody else was around. I just need to know how serious this all is. But I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or anything, because you've been through so much."

"Ok, I'm officially confused now. I just wanted to go slow, because I was scared that I'd screw this all up somehow. And I didn't want to do that. I wanted everything to be perfect. But in the past week I've realized things are hardly ever perfect. And every second I waste is one I'll never get back."

"Scott, what are you…"

"Wait. If I'd known how confused you were about our relationship, I probably would've changed things. But I thought you might freak out if I suddenly sped things up. If I keep missing all these chances, then one day it'll be too late, and well never have known how things would play out."

He moved away and sat on the bed, motioning for her to join him.

"Beck, I never wanted you to doubt anything. And I'm sorry you've had to. But I promise from now on I'll use every opportunity I have. So as soon as you get back from Australia, I'm taking you out to dinner. Ok?"

"Ok. I'm so sorry, Scott. I should have said it was bugging me. I just didn't want to seem pushy."

"Hey, maybe I like pushy girls."

She laughed, and he hugged her again.

"Glad we got this sorted. Now you can go on your trip, and not stress. You should get some rest. You've got a big week ahead of you."

He stood up, and went to leave. As he reached the door, she spoke.

"Scott? Um, seeing as how you like pushy girls, here's where I'm going to try and be bold. I was wondering if you wanted to stay here tonight. I'm not asking for anything, just some company. And if you don't want to, that's fine."

He thought about it. For maybe two seconds.

"Sure. I'll stay. After all, it'll be a while before I see you again. I'll just go get changed, ok?"

She nodded and gave him a shy smile. He went to his room, and put on his pj's. In record time he was done, so he went back to Beck's room. She was still in the bathroom, so he sat on a chair and waited. Five minutes later she emerged, dressed in the funniest pyjamas he'd ever seen. They were bright blue with little yellow ducks on them. He couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, leave my pyjamas alone! They're all I've got to keep warm, I'm not used to the cold nights yet."

"Uh-huh. So tell me…why duck's?"

"They seemed cute when I bought them."

He laughed again, and an awkward silence settled over the room. He tried to break it.

"Well, are we going to sleep or what?"

She nodded and climbed into the bed. He followed, and tried to keep enough space between them so that he wouldn't freak her out, or hurt her injured arm. They stayed in silence for a while, before Beck spoke.

"Doesn't it get annoying having to wear your glasses in bed?"

"I guess I've gotten used to it, so it doesn't bother me anymore. I just have to remember to keep them on."

"I think I'd go insane if it were me."

He turned to face her. She was staring at the ceiling.

"Well, then I'm glad its not you. Because I like you sane."

She grinned, and he felt the nervous tension between them vanish. They talked for a while longer, and she eventually fell asleep. He put his arm around her, and relaxed.

_I could get used to this, _he thought.


	11. Chapter 11

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

Here's chapter 11, as promised. Hope you like it! I know I liked writing it!

**Chapter 11**

The next morning Scott woke up feeling like he'd had the best nights sleep. He opened his eyes and saw Beck lying in his arms. She looked so peaceful. He didn't want to wake her, but he knew she needed to find the Professor as soon as she could.

"Beck. Wake up."

She stirred, but didn't wake. He sighed. Obviously she could sleep through anything. After ten more minutes of him being ignored, she finally opened her eyes. He watched as her expressions went from confusion, to realization and finally to embarrassment. She untangled herself from him, got out of bed and stretched.

"I'm going to take a shower, then go find the Professor. I'll see you at breakfast?"

He nodded, and climbed out of bed himself. She came round and kissed him on his cheek. His surprise must have shown because she said,

"Thanks for keeping me company."

"Anytime. I'll see you soon."

He left, and managed to reach his room without anyone spotting him. He showered, and got dressed, then went down to the kitchen to have breakfast. There was nobody else in there which he was thankful for. He made some toast, grabbed a glass of juice, and waited for Beck. Ten minutes later she arrived with a huge smile on her face.

"The Professor said I can go. He doesn't think there should be any problems. He managed to get me onto a flight already. It leaves tonight."

"Wait, tonight? You're leaving that soon?"

"Yeah, the party's in a few days. It's only for a week, Scott. I'll be back before you know it."

He nodded, and she came over and hugged him. He inhaled her scent, a mixture of shampoo and perfume. He never wanted to let her go. But he did.

"Well, I better go start packing. My taxi gets here at 8, so I have to be ready by then."

"Do you need any help with anything?"

"Help, no. Company…well I wouldn't mind."

She grabbed his hand, and took him up to her room. She started pulling out suitcases and clothes, trying to figure out what to take. She started folding things, talking the whole time.

"Once I've worked out the whole time difference thing I'll call you. And you can call me whenever you want."

"Ok. You seem a little tense."

"Well, I haven't seen my family for a long time. Everything's probably changed. And I don't know who's going to be at this party…could be anyone."

"I'm sure you'll be fine."

She stopped packing and came over to him. She took his hand, and looked him in the eyes as best she could.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I'll manage. I'm just…I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Scott."

He pulled her into a hug, and held her tight.

"Just be careful. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

"Stop being a drama queen. Nothings going to happen to me. Its Australia, nothing ever happens."

He laughed, but he didn't feel any better. She went back to packing, and he went and flicked through her CD collection. About two hours later, she was finished. He decided that instead of being upset for the rest of the day while she waited to leave, he'd make those hours memorable.

"C'mon, were going for a walk."

"A walk? To where?"

"It's a surprise."

He took her hand, and led her outside into the yard. They strolled along in silence. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination. He pushed through a hole in one of the hedges, pulling Beck in behind him. He heard her gasp.

"Oh wow, Scott, its beautiful."

He looked out across the pond at the flowers on the other side. He remembered researching their names, so he knew they were lilies. He also knew that there were a lot of different colors, even if he couldn't see them himself. He let Beck wander for a while, taking it all in.

"How did you know this was here?"

"I found it years ago when I was exploring. I don't know if anyone else has seen it."

"It's amazing. I've never seen lilies in these colors."

She turned to face him, frowning.

"Why did you bring me here if it's your secret place?"

"Because now it's our secret place. We can come here whenever we want, and nobody will find us. I just wanted you to have something nice to think about while you're gone. And something to look forward to when you get back."

"I already have something nice to think about, and something to look forward to. But this is wonderful. Thank you."

She hugged him, then looked around again.

"You're sure no one will find it?"

"The only other person I've seen here is Jean. And that was only because I brought her along."

"I had a feeling you might have. I'm glad you showed me this Scott."

♥♥♥♥♥

They had stayed at the hidden garden for a while, just enjoying each others company. Eventually they went back to the mansion for dinner. Scott sat in silence during the meal, watching everyone coming over to wish Beck luck. She hadn't been a teacher very long, but already the kids loved her.

When 7:30 came around, Scott went up to Beck's room to see if she was ready. He found her at her desk, sealing an envelope. She got up and walked over to him.

"That letter on the desk is for you. Don't read it until I've gone, ok?"

"I promise I wont. You all set? Your cab will be here soon, and I know there are some people waiting downstairs to say goodbye."

She looked around the room one last time.

"Yeah I'm ready. Is it stupid to have butterflies in my stomach? Or to be sad and happy at the same time?"

"It's not stupid Beck. I'm kind of feeling the same…although not a lot of happy on my part."

"I know, but I promise I won't stay any longer than a week. And I'll call you when I get there."

She sighed. He saw tears I her eyes, and grabbed her in a fierce hug. They clung to each other, neither one of them wanting to break the contact.

"God, I'm going to miss you so much, Scott."

"I'll miss you too. Promise me you'll be careful?"

"I promise."

He pulled back and saw tears streaming down her face. He wished he could cry too, but his mutation prevented it. A sudden idea flashed through his mind, and he reacted without thinking. He kissed her.

It was amazing. It was fire and passion. She tasted so sweet, and before he knew it he had her pushed up against the wall. She gasped, and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, explore every corner of her mouth. Every pent-up feeling he'd had since he met her burst out of him.

After what seemed like only seconds, but was actually a few minutes, he pulled away. He studied her in front of him, breathing hard, her face flushed.

"Wow. If I'd known all it would take is me leaving the country…"

He grinned, and she returned it. He looked at the clock, and realized with a jolt that they only had 15 minutes to get downstairs. She must've noticed too, because she moved over to her suitcases, and grabbed one of them.

"Can you give me a hand with these? I don't want to miss my flight."

"Yeah, sure."

He walked over, and went to grab the larger case. Before he could, she grabbed his arm, spun him around to face her, and kissed him again. It wasn't as frantic as the last one. It was gentler, almost curious. Eventually she broke away, blushing. There were tears in her eyes again.

"We better get moving."

They managed to get the luggage downstairs, and also managed to keep their hands off each other. Once at the front door, Beck was caught up in a crowd of young kids wanting to say goodbye. She got through them, and then only the adults were left.

She hugged Ororo, Hank, Bobby and Rogue. Logan even softened enough for one. Piotr gave her one of his sketches to take with her. She turned to Scott, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and another bone crushing hug. Everyone was crying now, well…those who could. Scott could've sworn he saw Logan wipe away a tear.

After more goodbyes, she went outside to the awaiting taxi. The driver loaded in her bags, and with one last wave she was gone. Scott turned and went back upstairs to her room, taking a look around. He grabbed the letter off the desk, stepped outside and closed the door.

He went to his room for some privacy. He opened the envelope. There were two sheets of paper, and a photo. He looked at the image, and noticed it was a shot of Beck he'd seen in her photo album once. He studied the first piece of paper. It was a sketch of him. He was leaning against his desk in his classroom. It looked like one of Piotr's sketches.

The second piece of paper had Beck's handwriting on it. It was a letter.

_Scott,_

_This is embarrassing to admit, but I had a thing for you when I first arrived here. I saw you in the Professor's office that night, and straight away I knew there was something about you. I don't believe in love at first sight, so the fact that I found you attractive right away threw me a little. _

_The sketch you found with this letter is one that Piotr drew. I asked him to do it especially for me, actually. He didn't ask too many questions, just winked. The photo is for you to keep. So you won't miss me too much. _

_The night youtold meyou had feelings for me, well I'll admit I was scared. Let's face it, you're a few years older than me, and you've had way more experience in these sorts of things. I'm still pretty new to it all. So yeah, I was terrified. But on the other hand it was the best thing I'd ever heard. _

_I'll be honest. I would much rather be here at the mansion than back in Australia. The mansion is my home now. But this engagement is a big deal to my brother, so I need to be there for him._

_I'll miss you a lot. I'll think about you all the time. Ok, I better stop before I start crying. Take care of yourself!_

_Love Beck._

Scott smiled, and placed the photo of Beck on his bedside table, replaying their passionate kiss in his mind.

He studied the sketch. It looked exactly like him. It also explained why Piotr had seemed distant in a few of his classes. He folded the letter and put it on his desk. Then he went downstairs to find some company. He didn't want to be completely alone this week.


	12. Chapter 12

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

I saw X3 (finally) yesterday, and to be honest I was worried. I thought seeing Scott's scenes would ruin my interest in this story. But it didn't, if anything it made me want to work harder, and have this story be the best it can be. So I now know exactly what is going to happen, and how. Stay tuned!

For starters, a fairly long chapter! 

**Chapter 12**

Scott Summers was losing his mind. Or at least that's how he felt. Beck had been gone 3 days, and he missed her like crazy. But that wasn't why he was going insane. He hadn't slept since she'd left. Nightmares had been haunting him. Every time he tried to sleep it was the same thing.

_Beck never makes it home. The Professor sends the X-Men out to find her. They discover she's being tortured and experimented on by some secret government agency. They find her, but she's unconscious and barely breathing. They get her to the jet, and she wakes up. She tells Scott she loves him, and then she goes limp. He tries to wake her, hoping she's not dead._

Every night, it plays out the same way. And every night he wakes up sweating and shaking. He doesn't know if she lives or dies. He knows he's being stupid, because she rang the mansion once she arrived in Australia, to let them know she was fine. But they hadn't heard from her since.

That didn't mean he couldn't shake the awful feeling that something was wrong. The fact that he's exhausted doesn't help either. He didn't realize how much of a help Beck was during class. And he still had three more days of teaching to go without her. He was so tired, he'd even considered saying he was too sick to teach. But he knew the Professor would see right through that excuse.

He entered the lounge, and was glad it was empty. He stretched out on the sofa, and closed his eyes. It felt so good to just relax, that he didn't even bother to get up and answer the phone. However when Logan came in and told him it was Beck on the line, he forgot all about how tired he was, and rushed to take the call.

"Beck? What's up? Is everything ok?"

"Everything's fine. I just wanted to talk to you. I miss you."

"I miss you too. Sorry I panicked, I've just been a little jumpy lately."

"Hmm, I never would have guessed. If it makes you feel any better, the only drama I've had over here is that I found out my ex-boyfriend is going to be at the party tomorrow night."

"Your ex…you mean the guy that cheated on you?"

"One and the same. Apparently he wants to talk to me or something. He still thinks we've got something betweens us…"

Scott almost laughed. Obviously this guy didn't get the message the first time. And he mustn't of noticed Beck had been out of the country for a long time.

"So what're you going to do?"

"I'll listen to what he has to say, and then strangle the bastard. Make sure there are no witnesses, I'll be very careful."

"Well…so long as you're careful. But apart from that everything's fine?"

"Peachy. How about you? You sound tired."

Scott sighed. Of course she'd pick up on it, he couldn't hide anything from her. But he didn't want to worry her with the truth. She deserved a break.

"It's just been a long day. I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow."

"Ok…I don't believe you, but ok. Well, I should probably go. Ill see you in a few days."

"Yeah. Take care, Beck."

"Bye."

He hung up the phone, and went back to the lounge. Logan was watching TV, but turned the volume down when he entered.

"How's the girl doing?"

"She's fine. Worried about the party tomorrow, but I'm sure she'll manage alright. Her ex-boyfriends going to be there."

"I assume it was a nasty breakup?"

"He cheated on her, she read his mind. Found out that way."

"Ouch. Well I'm sure she can handle things. How about you? You look like you're ready to collapse."

Scott rolled his eyes, even though he knew Logan couldn't see it.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yep. You can't hide anything around here."

"I just haven't been sleeping very well. It's not a big deal."

Logan raised his eyebrows, but thankfully didn't press the issue. Scott decided it was time for bed, so he said goodnight and went upstairs. He felt guilty for not telling Beck about his nightmares, but he didn't want her to stress. She'd gone to see her family, and have fun. He wasn't going to ruin that for her.

♥♥♥♥♥

Scott spent the next couple of days as a zombie. Except for the fact he was alive, and didn't feel like eating brains, nobody would've noticed the difference. Beck hadn't called back to tell him how the party had gone, not that he was expecting her to. But it might've helped calm his nerves.

He'd still been having the nightmares. Still the same thing, over and over. He didn't even try to sleep anymore. Being awake was better.

He was on his way to the Professor's office this afternoon. He'd found a note on his door asking him to go there. He wasn't sure what it was about, and just hoped the Professor wouldn't find out about the thoughts swirling around his head. Because even though he was awake, the awful images of Beck's tortured and lifeless body still haunted him.

He reached the door to the office and knocked. After a few minutes he heard the Professor call him in.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Scott. I've had an idea and I wanted to get your opinion on it."

Scott nodded. A feeling of unease hit him, and he thought he knew exactly what the Professor was going to say. When he spoke however, it was not what he had expected.

"I was thinking of asking Rebecca to join the X-Men. Her training is going well, and she's in full control of her abilities now. She could be a wonderful addition to the team."

"That's true. But why do you need my opinion?"

"Well, you are the leader of the X-Men. And I'm also aware of your…growing feelings towards Rebecca. I just wanted to check that you were ok with the idea."

Growing feelings? Oh, crap. Was there anyone in the mansion that didn't know?

"I'm ok with it. I mean, I'll be worried about her, but I think she's strong enough to deal with whatever's out there."

"Excellent. When she returns, I'll suggest it to her. Thank you, Scott."

"No problem, Professor. I'll see you later."

Scott left the office and went towards the library. He couldn't think of a better way to pass the time than reading. He knew Beck would be back in a few days, but he was starting to get anxious. He knew he wouldn't sleep alright until she was back at the mansion.

He must've been so exhausted that he'd fallen asleep in the library. He woke up breathing hard, his whole body shaking. He'd had the nightmare again. Her voice still echoed in his mind.

"_I love you"_

He noticed that the sky had grown dark, and checked his watch. He'd missed dinner, so he made his way down to the kitchen to see what was left. He was searching the cupboards when he heard the front doors open.

He knew it wasn't a student, because they weren't allowed outside at this time of night. He figured it was Logan or Warren. They liked their night time walks. He almost dropped his plate when he heard a voice callout.

"Hello? Is anyone around?"

It couldn't be. It was too soon. He moved out into the foyer, and there she was. Bags at her feet, looking as gorgeous as the first day he'd met her.

"Beck?"

"Surprise! I'm glad you're still up. Would've had to wait until morning to see that look on your face."

"What're you doing back here so soon?"

"I couldn't stay there any longer. I missed this place too much. Now, are you going to stop staring and give me a hug or what?"

He rushed forward and scooped her up. She laughed, and it was the best thing he'd ever heard. He pulled back and kissed her quickly. He couldn't believe she was here. Eventually he let go of her, and grabbed her bags to carry them upstairs.

"Hey, before you do that, are there any leftovers from dinner? I'm starving!"

He grinned and nodded. They went into the kitchen, and started digging up whatever they could find. They talked and ate, and Scott finally felt at peace. He knew he'd sleep well tonight.


	13. Chapter 13

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

Ok peoples, things are going to start getting interesting/complicated/whatever you can think of now. Brace yourselves! God, I love drama, lol.

This is an EXTREMELY long chapter folks. As a thank you to my loyal readers, plus I just couldn't stop writing.

**Chapter 13**

As Rebecca sat in the Professor's office, waiting for Xavier to return, she couldn't help but think how glad she was to be back. She'd enjoyed seeing her family again, but she felt as though the mansion was her home now. She'd stayed up for a while last night talking to Scott, but they had saved most of the catching up for today. He was going to meet her in their hidden garden in half an hour.

Finally the Professor entered. He moved his wheelchair behind his desk and turned to face her. She was always amazed at how well he managed to control the chair.

"Thank you for joining me, Rebecca. Sorry I kept you waiting."

"It's ok."

"While you were away this past week, I've done some thinking. I was wondering if you would like to join the X-Men."

"You mean wear the tight leather suit, and help the others out when there's trouble?"

He nodded. Beck's heart started beating hard. Could she handle the pressure of being an X-Man? Would it be too dangerous? She sat there thinking about it for so long she hadn't realized the Professor had started talking again.

"If you do not wish to join just yet, that's fine. I'm merely offering you the opportunity. I think you're ready for the job. And so does Scott."

So Scott knew about this. Interesting.

"I'll join. I just hope I don't make a mistake when it counts."

"Don't worry, Rebecca. We won't make you do anything you don't think you're ready for."

"Ok. Thank you, Professor."

"That's alright. Thank you for helping us out. I'll see you later."

She said goodbye and went outside. She looked around for the path to the hidden garden, and managed to find it without a problem. A few minutes later she pushed through the hedge, and saw the sunlight reflecting off the pond. She loved this place.

Scott was sitting on the grass, studying a flower in his hands. He looked up when she approached, and patted the ground beside him. She sat, and he tucked the flower into her hair above her ear. He smiled.

"Just what I thought. You look beautiful."

She could feel her cheeks heating up, and it wasn't from the sun. She wished she could handle taking compliments, but it always made her feel strange.

"So, Mr. Summers. Why didn't you tell me the Professor was going to ask me to join the X-Men?"

"I wanted you to be surprised. Besides I didn't know how you'd react."

"Well, for your information, I reacted fine. And I accepted."

"I had a feeling you would," he said, smiling.

She grinned back, and got comfortable on the ground.

"Well, did you get up to anything interesting while I was gone?"

"Oh, of course. There was teaching, and when I wasn't teaching I was planning for the next lesson. It was so much fun."

She laughed. At least his sense of humor was still there.

"What about you? How'd the party go?"

"It actually went pretty well. I had a lot of fun."

"And what about your ex? Did he try and talk to you?"

"He did. And I listened. Then I told him to go away, only not that nicely. He still didn't get the hint, and tried to make a move on me, so I punched him."

There was silence. Then Scott burst into fits of laughter. She sat there, a smile on her face, watching the way the sun reflected off his glasses. She couldn't tear herself away. She wanted to see his eyes so bad. As he stretched out onto his back, staring up at the sky, she couldn't help herself.

"Close your eyes, Scott."

She lent over and went to remove his glasses. His hands grabbed her wrists.

"What're you doing?"

"I want to see your face."

"So just make the glasses invisible. Like you did in the Danger Room that time."

"That's not what I meant," she explained. "Please, Scott. I promise I won't ask again."

He sighed, and let go of her hands. Then he took off the glasses, and placed them next to him, close enough to grab in a hurry. Beck studied him, lying there with his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful.

"What color were your eyes before?"

"To be honest, I can't remember. It's been so long."

"I think they'd be blue. You seem like a blue eyed person."

Without even thinking about it, she traced the lines of his face with her hand. Touching his eyelids, his cheeks, his lips. He was so perfect. She ran her fingers along his jaw, down to his chin. Her hand trailed down onto his chest, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt.

Suddenly he grabbed her arm and sat up, placing the glasses back on his face. He looked at her, and her face began to burn.

"Sorry. I didn't mean…"

"It's ok. I just haven't been touched like that for a while."

She knew he was talking about Jean. An awkward silence settled over them. Beck hated those.

"You looked tired, like you haven't slept in days. And you sounded tired on the phone every time I called."

"Well, it was kind of stressful without you here helping me teach. I was just exhausted."

"Scott, come on. Don't give me that crappy excuse, because you survived classes fine before I even got here. What's going on?"

She watched as he looked out across the pond, following the birds as they jumped around. Eventually he sighed, and turned back to her.

"Nightmares. Every time I fell asleep it was the same thing. I'd wake up screaming and shaking. In the end I figured it was easier to just stay awake."

"Nightmares? About what?"

"About you. It was always you, Beck. You'd go missing, and you'd get tortured. I always found you and got you on the jet. But you don't make it back to the mansion."

She doesn't make it? What the hell was he talking about? And then it dawned on her. Scott had been watching her die every night. No wonder he'd been so happy to see her when she returned.

"Oh my god, Scott…why didn't you say something?"

"I dint want to ruin your holiday. Besides I knew they were just dreams."

"Right, that's why you haven't slept for a week," she said, sarcasm creeping into her voice. "You should've told me."

He laughed, but there was no humor in it.

"What difference would it have made?"

"Maybe none. But we're in a relationship, right? So were supposed to tell each other these things!"

He sat up and looked at her, concern etched on his face. He pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her head.

"Hey, calm down. Nothings wrong now, I slept fine last night, because you were here. There's no need to worry."

"I know. I'm just overreacting. Sorry."

"It's ok."

He kissed her on the cheek, and stood up.

"Remember I said that once you got back I'd take you out to dinner? You still want to go?"

"Of course I do, Scott. Just tell me when and where."

"I managed to sort it with the Professor that we can go tonight. I'll come to your room at six, and we'll leave, ok? Wear something comfortable, but a little fancy."

"Sounds good. I'm going to stay here a little while, get some fresh air, clear my head. I'll see you later."

He nodded, and left. Beck sat there breathing in the smell of the flowers, listening to the breeze. She couldn't believe Scott had been dreaming such awful things. She felt so bad for him, that after all he'd been through, it was almost like death was haunting him. But the thing that confused her the most was how much it affected him. If he hadn't slept for days because it hurt too much to see her like that…she didn't know what to do.

She thought about the way he had looked when his glasses were off. So innocent, like nothing in the world was wrong. She remembered all the times he'd been concerned for her, worried about her, upset with her. But he was still there whenever she needed him. The times he'd laughed, smiled and been playful because of something she did or said. She couldn't believe how lucky she was.

_He's the perfect guy. Maybe that's why you've fallen in love so quickly, _said a little voice in her head.

She froze. In love? No way, it was too soon for that. Right?

Although it did explain a lot. Like how she couldn't stop thinking of him the whole time she was gone. It was like a piece of her had been left behind, and it was only when she had returned that she felt complete.

Beck shook her head, and tried to make sense of the thoughts swirling around inside it. She looked at her watch and realized she only had a couple of hours before Scott was going to take her to dinner. She suddenly felt very nervous.

♥♥♥♥♥

6:00 pm came around very quickly. Beck had returned to her room to finish unpacking, but realized she couldn't concentrate on what she was doing. The discovery that she was in love with Scott was making her head spin.

She had eventually decided that she wouldn't say anything to Scott, at least not right away. She would see how dinner went, and then make a decision. She didn't want to freak him out. After all, Jean's death hadn't happened too long ago.

She showered, and put on a black knee length skirt and a figure hugging purple sleeveless top. She finished off the outfit with boots, and some silver jewellery. Grabbing her jacket, she sat on the bed and watched the seconds tick by.

Scott got there a little before six, but she wasn't complaining. He was wearing a shirt and pants, slightly nicer than his everyday teaching outfit. He smiled at her, and took her hand.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded, her nerves making it impossible for her to speak. They went downstairs to the garage, and got into Scott's car. Soon they were traveling into town. Beck sat staring out the window, watching the scenery fly by.

"You're awful quiet. Something on your mind?"

"Yes and no. I did a lot of thinking this afternoon, may have overloaded my brain. Also, I'm pretty nervous."

"Why be nervous? It's just like any other time we have dinner, only this time it's just us. No noisy kids running around, or throwing food."

"That's a good point. We may go insane in the silence."

He laughed, and she couldn't help but join in. Why let one little discovery ruin what may be a fantastic night?

Ten minutes later they reached the town. Scott drove with ease to a little restaurant on a street corner. It was a small place, and fairly empty. They found a table hidden in the corner, and settled in.

The food was amazing. They made small talk through the meal, and Beck made sure she avoided anything with alcohol. She didn't want a repeat of Halloween. Once the meal was over they went for a walk. Strolling down the streets, hand in hand, she felt so relaxed. She could've done this everyday.

"So, in all your thinking this afternoon, did you make any major findings?"

"Uh, no, not really," she lied. Why did he have to bring that up?

"Uh-huh, and what would you do if I said I don't believe you?"

He moved in front of her, and pulled her close. Her nerves disappeared, and she realized he was just teasing her.

"I'd change the subject. Or distract you somehow so you forget what you were talking about."

"Interesting. Is this how you'd distract me?"

He leaned in and captured her lips with his own. Beck couldn't help but think how lucky it was that he had his arms around her, because her knees could give way at any moment. She kissed him back, never wanting it to stop.

Things became heated and they clung to each other, hands moving to places they probably shouldn't. She was aware that they had moved into a dark alley, but her mind was fogging up too much to care. As he started trailing kisses along her neck, a loud clang made them jump. They looked towards the source, but in the darkness all they could make out was the shape of a person.

_Ugh, how creepy, _she thought, as she untangled herself from Scott.

"Who's there?" Scott called out.

He started moving forwards, but Beck put a hand on his arm to stop him. The figure at the end of the alley came towards them. It was a young guy, probably a teenager, wearing a trench coat. Scott took another step forward.

"What were you doing hiding back there?"

The boy didn't answer. Beck suddenly got a very bad feeling, like something was wrong. She pulled on Scott's arm.

"I think we should go, Scott."

"Yeah, ok."

They turned to leave, but the young boy ran in front of them, blocking the way. Beck's feeling of dread intensified. And then she saw it. The flash of metal in the kid's belt, a gun hidden under the coat. Only he wasn't hiding it any more. He pulled it out, and aimed it at them.

She heard Scott swear next to her, and saw his arm rise towards his glasses.

"Scott, wait," she whispered, "He's just a kid. You can't blast him."

"I know. You should get out of here. Turn invisible and run."

"I'm not leaving you!"

The boy moved forward, the gun shaking in his hand. He looked at them, and his eyes were almost lifeless. Beck knew that look would haunt her for a long time.

"Shut up! Stop whispering, and just hand over your cash!"

Beck went to get her purse out. She really didn't want to piss this guy off. But a hand on her arm stopped her.

"How about you give us that gun, and we wont tell anyone what happened here."

Beck entered Scott's mind, so they could hear each others thoughts. She didn't even have to concentrate very hard to do it these days.

"_Scott! Are you insane?" _

"_I know what I'm doing."_

"_But this kid's lost it. There's no telling what he'll do to you, or me."_

She watched as he took a step towards the kids, arms at his sides.

"Kid, just give me the gun. You know it's the best thing to do."

She saw the boys eyes narrow, and his grip on the gun tighten.

"_Scott! Stop trying to be the hero, give the kid your money, and then we'll get out of here!"_

He didn't answer her, and she felt herself being pushed out of his mind. He took another step forward. The kid started to get twitchy.

"Get back! I mean it, get away from me. Put your money on the ground, and I'll let you go!"

"Scott, please just do what he says!"

Scott shook his head, and took one last step forward. Beck watched in slow motion as the boy cocked the gun, and then fired. The bullet hit Scott right in the stomach. She heard screaming, and realized it was her. She watched Scott fall to the ground, clutching the wound. The kid stood frozen, staring at the blood pouring from it.

Beck felt unstoppable rage course through her body. She spun andpunched the mugger in the face. He slammed to the ground, unconscious. She rushed over to Scott's side, applying pressure on the gunshot.

"Scott. Oh god, that's a lot of blood."

"Beck…I'm sorry…I didn't mean …to wreck our…date."

"Shh, it's ok. Stay with me, Scott. I'll get you out of here."

He started coughing, and she saw blood oozing from his mouth. With out even thinking, she opened his shirt, and moved his hands away, replacing them with her own. The blood was warm and sticky, and she had to fight to keep her food down.

"Beck…wait…"

She looked at him. He put a hand on her shoulder, staining her jacket with red.

"I…need to tell…you that I-"

"Shut up Scott, and let me concentrate! You can tell me whatever it is later. You're not gonna die!"

He broke into another coughing fit, and she closed her eyes, focusing on the wound. She hoped she could fix it, she hadn't been able to work on her healing power much.

She concentrated on imagining the hole in his stomach closing, his organs healing, everything. She felt it working. She felt her energy draining into him. After what seemed like forever, she opened her eyes. She looked down and moved her hands.

The wound was gone, there was only smooth skin in its place. The blood was still there, starting to dry in a sticky red mess. She watched as he sat up and looked at his stomach. He touched it. Then he looked at her. She could barely keep her eyes open. But she had to know.

"Did it work?"

"I think so," he replied.

"Good."

And she passed out.


	14. Chapter 14

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

Ok peoples, things are going to start getting interesting/complicated/whatever you can think of now. Brace yourselves! God, I love drama, lol.

This chapter picks up around where the last one finished. Now, there's a big surprise at the end. It wasn't originally going to happen until chapter 16-ish, but while writing this one, things changed. It just seemed to flow better. I'd love to know what you think.

Sorryfor thelong wait, but I had lots of factors working against me. Interruptions, schoolwork, writer's block, you name it.

**Chapter 14**

Scott had managed to get Beck to the car without being spotted. It was a good thing too, he didn't feel like having to explain why he was covered in blood, late at night, carrying an unconscious girl around. When he'd picked her up, he'd noticed her right hand was curled into a tight fist. Prying it open, he'd found a bullet. It was obviously the one from his stomach. He'd placed it in his pocket, not bothering to think about it just yet.

He had tied up their attacker with some rope he'd found in the alley, and then called the police. He'd left an anonymous tip, he wasn't sure if he had time to stick around and wait. Plus he knew how the police would react to them being mutants. It wasn't a nice thought, but it was true.

On his way to the mansion, speedingthrough the streets, he rang the Professor to explain the situation. Driving along, his head was full of all kinds of thoughts.

_Is she going to be ok? Why did she do it? Is her power permanent? Or am I going to start bleeding any minute?_

He tried to calm down and focus on getting back home safely. Eventually he saw the huge black silhouette of the school, and tore through the front gates. He hoped most of the kids were in bed, but being a weekend he doubted it.

He screeched the car to a halt, and ran to the passenger side. He opened the door and carefully pulled Beck out. She hung limp in his arms. As he reached the front doors they burst open to reveal Logan and Hank waiting for him, concern showing on their faces.

He rushed through to the medical lab, trying not to notice the horrified stares he was receiving. He heard whispering start up, and dreaded what stories the kids would create. But he didn't have time to worry about that now.

He got into the lab, and put Beck on the table, Hank and Logan hot on his heels. He stood back and watched as Hank checked Beck's pulse, and all sorts of other things. Then Hank moved onto Scott, checking his vitals. Eventually Hank spoke.

"She's going to be fine. And so are you."

Scott almost fell over with relief. Logan looked at the blood covering his stomach.

"What the hell happened, Cyke?"

So Scott explained. It didn't take as long as he thought it would. After he finished, Logan just stood there with a frown on his face, while Hank nodded gravely.

"The young boy probably guessed you two were mutants, and targeted you because of that. I trust he's being dealt with?"

"I hope so, Hank. I didn't really stick around to find out."

Logan finally snapped out of his thoughts.

"So she healed you? You were dying, and she healed you?"

"Yes, Logan," Scott sighed, "she healed me."

"Huh."

Scott would've laughed if he'd had the energy. Logan left to tell the Professor the details, and let him know everything was fine. Scott perched on a chair, and asked the question that had been bugging him.

"So how did she do it, Hank?"

"As far as I can tell, her power works a lot like Rogue's, only the opposite. Instead of taking someone else's life force, she gives them some of hers. That's why she passed out. Curing a gunshot, especially one as serious as yours, is no easy task."

"But if she goes around giving everyone her life force, wouldn't she end up dead?"

"Normally, yes. But part of her healing power means that she can regenerate her life force. In a few days she'll be back to normal. Until then, she'll be weak, and possibly quite sick. Her immune system is extremely low right now, and she already seems to have caught a random bug."

"But she'll be ok?"

Hank nodded. He started rummaging through some drawers, pulling out pills of different types.

"I suggest you go shower and get changed. You don't want to be sitting around in blood soaked clothing for too long. I'll call you when she wakes up."

Scott stood up and went over to Beck, taking a long look at her pale face. He leant down and kissed her on the forehead.

"Thank you," he whispered.

He said a quick thanks to Hank as he went upstairs. He rushed to his room and got out some clean clothes. Jumping under the shower, he let the scalding water wash most of the blood away. He scrubbed at the rest, making sure he got it all. Soon he was clean and dressed, so he went back down to the med lab. Hank chuckled when he saw him.

"Back so soon?"

"Yeah, sorry. I just don't want to leave her, you know?"

Hank brought over some pill bottles. He handed Scott a list.

"Give her these according to the instructions when she wakes up. Then again tomorrow morning, and night. Twice a day for the rest of the week. I assume you'll be with her most of the time?"

"Definitely. I'll take care of her."

"Good. If there are any problems come and see me. I'll warn you, she may not be quite right for at least a week. She'll have a fever, headaches, nausea….it might even be worse. But I can guarantee she will pull through. Her body just needs time to recover. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some paperwork to do. I'll just be in the office, come and get me if there's any problems."

Scott nodded. Hank left, shutting the door to the office behind him. Scott looked at the list of instructions. They seemed simple enough. He pulled a chair over, and sat next to the bed that Beck lay on, taking one of her hands in his. She felt so cold. He watched the rise and fall of her chest, and the way her eyelids fluttered. He couldn't believe what had happened in the last few hours. It had all moved so fast.

He'd wanted it to be the perfect evening. He'd been planning on telling Beck how deep his feelings for her had grown. He hadn't meant to get carried away in the alley, but he couldn't help it. She'd looked so beautiful, the moonlight hitting her skin. He looked at her now, so pale and broken. And she was like this because of him. Because she'd felt the need to save him. He was grateful she had, there was no doubt about it, but he wondered why she'd risked hurting herself all for one person.

His questions would have to wait however, as Beck was starting to wake up. He noticed her hand move first, and then her eyes slowly opened. He watched as she tried to figure out where she was.

"Scott?"

"I'm right here, Beck. How're you feeling?"

"Ugh, like I got hit by a bus. What happ-"

Scott saw her face go from confusion to panic, as she remembered the events of the evening. She tried to sit up, but only groaned in pain. She looked at Scott's stomach, noticing the lack of blood.

"It worked? You're gunna be ok?"

"I'm going to be fine. And so are you, eventually. Hank says your power took a lot out of you, and you'll feel sick for a few days. But nothing serious. You need to take these pills though. Want some help sitting up?"

She nodded, and he moved forward, putting an arm underneath her back. Carefully, he helped her move into an upright position. He gave her the pills, and she swallowed them without a problem. He placed the bottles back on the table, and spun around to see her watching him with tears in her eyes. One fell down her cheek, and he brushed it away with his fingers.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought I'd lost you. In the alley…I wasn't sure if my power would work. And even when you said it did, I couldn't believe it. I was just so worried you were going to leave me."

She broke down and started sobbing. He perched on the edge of her bed, and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm still here, and I'm fine. You don't have to worry about anything except getting better."

They sat there for a few minutes, until she calmed down. She dried her eyes, and gave him a small smile.

"You must think I'm crazy. Crying at a time when I should be happy."

"It's not crazy at all."

"Hmm, you're just being nice."

"Maybe," he laughed, "but you're going to have to endure the rumors that'll be flying around for the next few days. And they won't be so nice. I mean, if you saw one of your teachers carrying somebody inside, covered in blood, what would be running through your head?"

She laughed, and then jumped as the door to Hank's office flew open. She almost fell off the bed, but Scott managed to steady her in time. As they untangled themselves, Hank wandered over.

"Ah, I thought I heard you talking, Rebecca. How are you feeling?"

Scott paced and listened as Hank and Beck went through the routine again. Eventually he was told he could take Beck back to her room, but he'd have to stay with her overnight, just to make sure there were no complications. He let Beck lean on his arm as they went upstairs. They reached her room, and he waited as she went into the bathroom and got changed. After a few minutes, he heard a thud, and rushed to the door.

"Beck? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," came the muffled reply. "I just got dizzy and fell."

"Is it ok if I come in?"

"Uh, yeah."

He opened the door, and couldn't help but laugh. She was wearing her duck pyjamas again. Well, half of them anyway, she hadn't changed her top, and was just wearing her bra. She was holding the pyjama top in front of her, trying to cover herself up. It was amusing, except for the fact that she was leaning against the cupboard, looking extremely pale.

"I think you've exhausted yourself, Beck. Can you get up?"

"No. Stop laughing! I'm too tired to push myself up. I said stop laughing!"

"Sorry, it's just…well, c'mon, you've got to admit its funny."

She glared at him, but didn't mean it. She tried again to heave herself off the ground, but it was no use. She looked up at Scott, a blush creeping over her face.

"Um, I might need a hand…"

He chuckled, but moved forward, and stretched out his hands. She extended her left arm only, as her right was still holding the top over her almost bare chest.

"Beck, your left arm is still weak from when it was broken. And you can't pull yourself up one handed."

"But…"

"Look, if you want I can close my eyes."

"How can I tell if you've got them shut through those glasses? Hey, I saw that smirk!"

She tried to kick him, but missed. She sighed, and looked up at him. She wedged the top under her arms, and tried to reach his hands. She made it, and he pulled her up towards him, but the top fell about halfway there. She froze, her eyes going wide.

The smirk left Scotts face immediately, as he looked at the girl in front of him. She was wearing a black bra, just a plain one, no lace or anything. But it still made his breath falter. He swallowed. She had goose bumps appearing all over her skin, but he wasn't sure if that was the cold or the fact that they were standing so close. As if in slow motion, his hand moved to her shoulder, touching the bare skin. She shivered.

So he did want any normal male would do. He kissed her. He'd expected her to pull away, seeing as she was so embarrassed about her current state. But she didn't. She responded to the kiss with a frantic passion. Perhaps the scare of him being shot earlier made her realize that every second counted. He ran his hands through her hair, and deepened the kiss. She moaned, and he pushed her up against the counter. Eventually they came up for air.

"Scott…"

"Hmm?"

"Don't stop. Please…"

She captured his lips again, and he thought he was going to die. It all just felt so right. But he had to make sure this was really what she wanted. He pulled away.

"Beck, are you sure? I'm mean, you're still pretty weak."

"I'm sure. I've never been surer of anything. You just may need to talk me through some things. But this is right. I…I love you Scott."

"God, Beck, I love you too."

It was all each of them needed to hear, and he kissed her again. He trailed his lips down her neck, onto her chest. She moved to undo his belt. It went on the ground, along with his shirt. Somehow they made their way to the bed. Clothes thrown around theroom,making a mess.

Nobody in the mansion knew what was happening in that room. Not even Logan. They didn't know that was the night that would change everything. But somebody else did. Somebody thousands of miles away. Somebody they thought was long gone.

In the frozen waters of Alkali Lake, that persons head was filled with the sounds of Scott and Beck taking their relationship to the next level. It was unbearably loud. In her watery grave, she thrashed and spun, trying to get the noise out of her mind. Her eyes snapped open. She screamed. Nobody heard.

But Jean Grey was awake. And she wasn't happy.


	15. Chapter 15

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

Ok peoples, things are going to start getting interesting/complicated/whatever you can think of now. Brace yourselves! God, I love drama, lol.

**Chapter 15**

Beck awoke the next morning slightly dazed. Her head was pounding, and it took her a few minutes to take in her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was her lack of clothes. As she got up to hunt down the elusive garments, she recalled the events of the previous night and felt her stomach drop. She also realized Scott was nowhere to be seen. She sat on the edge of the bed and put her face in her hands.

"What have I done?"

She didn't get a chance to answer herself though, as Scott chose this moment to open the door with two cups of coffee in his hands. He smiled at her and placed the drinks on the desk.

"Good morning."

She stood up and grabbed him in a fierce hug. He held her back just as tightly.

"I thought you'd taken off on me."

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. This is the first time I've ever…you know. I thought the guys usually took off straight after."

He laughed at that and sat down on the bed, sitting her next to him.

"Some guys do. But not me."

She blushed. He handed her a coffee, and they drank in a comfortable silence. After a while Scott spoke again.

"Well, I'm going to go take a shower. But seeing as it's a Saturday, and we don't have classes to teach, meet me in our garden in half an hour."

She nodded, and he leant over and gave her a long soft kiss. Then he left, and Beck sat there trying to wake herself up properly. After a minute or two, she snapped out of her daze and decided to freshen up. She quickly showered and put on some fresh clothes. Then she tidied up the room they'd left in such a mess the night before.

Once she was done she checked her watch and realized she had five minutes to get to the garden. As she made her way downstairs she bumped into Logan. Literally.

"Ouch, sorry kid. You alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fins Logan. Thanks."

She looked up at him and saw him frown a little. Just when Beck thought he couldn't be any stranger, he actually sniffed the air. Then he raised his eyebrows. Beck had had enough.

"What is it Logan?"

"Nothing…although I did just see Scott heading outside before. I noticed something was different with him. And it's the same with you."

He grinned when he saw her eyes widen.

"Don't worry Beck, I won't tell. Just glad to see Cyke moving on. And you being happy."

"You know Logan, that whole smelling people thing is kinda creepy."

"Yeah, well, it comes in handy. See ya later."

She said goodbye, and went to find Scott. The whole encounter with Logan had been way too strange for this early in the morning. After a few minutes of walking, she climbed through the hedge and saw Scott sitting at the edge of the pond. She called to him.

"Hey."

He didn't answer. She moved closer and called his name. Still no response. She touched him on the shoulder and gasped as he jumped violently. Once he saw it was her he relaxed again.

"Hey Beck."

"What the hell was that?"

He shook his head and said nothing. She sat down carefully next to him. She decided not to push the issue. He'd talk when he felt like it. He put his arm around her, and she let her head fall onto his shoulder. She heard him speak.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired. And…I don't know, I feel different now. Older in a way. That probably sounds stupid."

"No it doesn't. I know exactly what you mean."

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying each others company. Beck noticed Scott still seemed distant and tense, but told herself he was obviously conflicted over feeling like he was betraying Jean, and what had happened the night before with her.

She didn't know how wrong she was.

♥♥♥♥♥

One week later, and things seemed to be going pretty well. Scott and Beck's relationship was the talk of the school. Apparently Logan wasn't the only person to notice something. Not that anybody really had a problem with it. They all seemed thrilled for the two of them.

But none of the well-wishers seemed to notice that not everything was perfect for the new couple. Only Beck seemed to be able to see it. She and Scott hadn't spent the night together since that first time. They hardly spent anytime together in fact, and when they did it wasn't the fun times they'd had before. They sat there quietly, not really speaking.

Beck had finally reached breaking point, and had decided to confront Scott about what was going on. As she reached his room, she noticed the door was ajar. She approached quietly, and saw through the gap that Scott was sitting on his bed staring at a photograph. She knew that the picture was of Jean, she'd seen it before. And she knew that if his mutation hadn't prevented it, he'd be crying right now.

She hesitated, unsure of whether to enter or not, but decided she couldn't put it off any longer. Knocking on the door, she allowed him to compose himself and let her in. She didn't return his half hearted smile.

"Scott, we need to talk. Ever since…that night, you've been getting more and more distant. I need to know if it's something I've done or said. But whatever it is we have to figure it out. Because it's killing me doing this with you."

He stared at her while she said this and continued to stand there when she'd finished. She didn't back down. She wasn't going to walk away without finding out his problem. But she didn't have to wait long.

"I'm so sorry, Beck. I've been so selfish. It just…since that night, I've been hearing Jean. In my head. Sometimes it's so loud I can't shut it out. She keeps asking me to help her, to save her. At first I thought I was doing it to myself. That I was feeling guilty for sleeping with you. But then I realized it's not me because I don't feel guilty at all. It's her."

Beck sat there in shock for a while. This wasn't what she'd been expecting. And it frightened her how scared and lost he sounded.

"What do you mean it's her? As in memories you'd forgotten about?"

"No, as in she's still alive somewhere, I can feel it. And she wants me to find her."

"Scott…"

"No! You're just going to tell me she can't be alive. But I know she is."

He sighed and slumped against the door. Beck wasn't sure whether to comfort him or curl up into a ball and cry. What he was saying was crazy, but she'd been a mutant long enough to know that just because something seemed strange doesn't mean it can't happen.

"Have you told the Professor about this?"

He shook his head and slid down the door until he was sitting on the floor. She went over and sat next to him, pulling him into a hug. She finally noticed how tired he looked. She decided to help him, even if she didn't completely believe what was happening. She loved him too much not to try.

"C'mon, we're going to go find the Professor and you're going to tell him everything. Then we'll take it from there, ok?"

She helped him stand up, and he was just about to say something when he suddenly grabbed his head is his hands and groaned.

"Scott? What wrong?"

"She's calling me again. It's so loud, I can't shut it out."

Without even thinking, Beck used her own mind to reach out to Scott's. She had to know for sure that Jean was really alive. She felt him try to stop her, but he was too weak. Almost immediately she heard it. It was definitely Jean. She sounded like she was in pain. And she was repeating Scott's name over and over. The noise was unbearable. Beck struggled to pull free of Scott's mind. Finally she was out.

She looked at Scott who was straightening up. He was breathing fast and heavy.

"She's stopped."

"Good. Let's get to the Professor before she starts again."

They rushed to the Professor's office. Once they entered Beck made Scott tell him everything. He even told the Professor some things he hadn't mentioned to her, but she didn't think twice about it. Her own head was filled with too many thoughts. It took her a few minutes to realize the Xavier was speaking to them.

"Ordinarily I'd say this was something you were imagining, Scott. But because Rebecca heard it as well, I can't ignore it. The Blackbird is undergoing some repairs at the moment, but as soon as it's fixed I'll assemble the team and we will go to Alkali Lake to see if anything is there."

They said their goodbyes and Beck followed Scott back up to his room. She was startled when he pulled out a bag and started packing clothes into it.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to Alkali Lake. If Jean needs me, she needs me now. Not whenever the jet's ready."

"Scott…you can't go on your own. You don't know what this is. It could be some elaborate trap."

He walked over and grabbed her by the shoulders. He looked her straight in the eyes, or as best he could while wearing his glasses.

"Then come with me. That way if there's trouble you can send a message to the Professor. I understand if you don't want to go, but I'm not just going to sit here and do nothing. It's up to you."

She didn't have to think about it very long.

"Give me fifteen minutes, and I'll meet you in the garage."

She left him and went straight to her room. She packed only the essentials. Ten minutes later she was done, and she made her way to the garage. She found Scott fueling up his Harley Davidson motorcycle. Once everything was ready he strapped their bags to the bike, and turned to face her.

"Thanks for doing this."

"Hey, I'm not going to let you go off on an adventure without me."

He smiled at her, the first real smile she'd seen on him in days. He pulled her into a gentle kiss, and she almost melted into a puddle at his feet. And then suddenly they were on his bike, her arms around his waist, speeding off to Alkali Lake.

She wasn't sure what they were going to find, or how it would affect Scott. But she knew they'd face it together. No matter what.

**Please Review!!!**


	16. Chapter 16

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

Ok peoples, things are going to start getting interesting/complicated/whatever you can think of now. Brace yourselves! God, I love drama, lol.

**Chapter 16**

It had been a long and tiring trip. But finally they were sitting in a hotel room in a small town a few miles from Alkali Lake. Scott looked out the window, Jean's voice was in his head constantly now. Beck was in the shower washing the dust and dirt from the road off her.

Scott couldn't believe that just over a week ago everything had been perfect. He was happy. And now here he was, dragging his girlfriend on a trip to see if his dead fiancé was still alive. He almost laughed out loud at how stupid it sounded. He didn't know what they'd find. And he wasn't sure he wanted to find anything at all.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when Beck emerged from the bathroom toweling her hair dry. She was wearing pajamas, and when she sat on the floor in front of the fireplace she wrapped a blanket around her. She'd admitted to him earlier that she hadn't realized how cold it was going to get. She still hadn't fully adjusted from the hot Australian weather.

He went over and sat on the floor next to her. She wrapped the blanket around him as well and they sat there silently for a while. Scott had noticed Beck didn't seem very talkative now they were near the lake. He didn't have to guess as to why. He was just about to ask her if she wanted to talk when suddenly she was kissing him. He felt himself responding and he deepened the kiss. He pushed her back onto the floor so she was underneath him, and found the strength to pull away.

"Wait, what are we doing?"

She frowned and sat up, pushing him off her.

"Sorry, I just…I'm sorry. I think I'll go to bed."

She went to get up and he grabbed her arm turning her towards him again. And suddenly he understood. She thought she was going to lose him if Jean was back. And honestly, he wasn't sure what was going to happen. He felt like he needed to explain to her.

"Beck, I loved Jean for so long. Part of me probably still does. But right now, I love you. And I want to be with you. So you don't have to worry."

She opened her mouth to argue, but he didn't give her a chance. He captured her lips with his own, putting every bit of the anger and confusion he'd felt in the past few days into the kiss. He felt her tense up at first and he thought she'd stop him. But then she started trying to pull his shirt over his head, and he let her. They needed this. Tonight especially.

♥♥♥♥♥

The next morning they got up early, and began the silent drive to Alkali Lake. It didn't take them long to get there, and they parked the bike and left their bags with it. They had organized a plan earlier. Beck would turn invisible and stay back so she wouldn't be in danger if something went wrong.

Scott gave her a quick kiss and watched as she disappeared form view. She grabbed his hand so he knew where she was. As they broke through the trees to the edge of the lake Scott told Beck to stay there unless he called for her. He felt her kiss him on the cheek, and he headed to wards some rocks that went out into the water.

As he reached the end of the rocks, the noise in his head became unbearable. He could hear Jean screaming in pain. He could tell she was nearby, but he wasn't sure how he knew that. He couldn't take the pain in his head anymore and he screamed and shot an optic blast into the water. He heard Beck in his mind asking if he was alright. He told her he was and he felt her presence leave.

Suddenly the water before them began to churn uncontrollably. A whirlpool formed in the centre. There was a loud bang and Scott was thrown back from the shockwave. He had warned Beck to stay back and block her mind so that nobody could tell she was there, but he felt her try to talk to him. He told her to stick to the plan for the moment, and knew when she had listened. As he stood up a golden light began to glow. It was so bright he couldn't see anything for a few minutes. Then suddenly the light was gone and Jean was standing in front of him.

"Jean?"

"Scott."

He couldn't believe it. Here she was and she looked fine. He remembered in his mind she'd sounded like she was in pain.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

She hugged him then, and he felt so happy. Jean was back. And then she was kissing him. It took him a few minutes to remember Beck was somewhere nearby, so he pushed Jean off.

"What's wrong, Scott?"

"Nothing. We just can't do this. Look, lets go back to the mansion, I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you."

But something was wrong. She had been smiling minutes before, but now there was something different in her eyes. And he couldn't be sure but it looked like there were veins running down the side of hre face. When she spoke it was the scariest sound he'd ever heard.

"I don't want to go to the mansion. I want to know why you won't kiss me."

"Jean, listen, I'll explain everything. But let's go home first, ok?"

"NO!"

Suddenly he was thrown back. He hit something slightly solid and felt it fall over behind him. He also heard a gasp and looked around. Jean had thrown him directly into Beck. And Beck wasn't invisible anymore. She looked panicked.

"I can't turn back. She's doing this Scott, she knew I was here!"

He stood up to face Jean. Her hair was billowing out behind her in a non-existent wind. She looked furious.

"So this is why? You've found someone else. Let me guess, the first little girl who made moon eyes at you?"

He stayed silent. But he was angry at himself for letting this happen. And for dragging Beck into it.

"Answer me, Scott!"

"Jean, I'm sorry. But I thought you were dead. And I moved on. And I'm with someone I love."

He looked at Beck and smiled at her. But she was to busy staring at Jean to look at him. When he looked back around he understood why. He had never seen someone so mad in his entire life. A horrible thought hit him, but he didn't want to voice it until he was sure. Although it didn't take long for it to be proven.

Jean was holding her hands out in front of her, and they were starting to glow. It looked like she was holding flames, red and orange and yellow, dancing brightly. They lit up her face making it look even more grotesque. Then she threw the growing fireball at them. It unfurled its wings and flew at them. They managed to dive out the way and the fiery bird hit the tress behind them setting them alight.

By the time they stood up Jean was gone. Beck turned to face him, looking frightened.

"Was that really Jean?"

He sighed. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid. How else could Jean have come back from the dead?

"No, Beck. That was the Phoenix."


	17. Chapter 17

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

Ok peoples, things are going to start getting interesting/complicated/whatever you can think of now. Brace yourselves! God, I love drama, lol.

**Chapter 17**

One week later, everyone was on edge. When Scott and Beck had returned to the mansion and told the Professor what had happened with Phoenix, he had informed the others immediately. Then the teachers had informed the students. Security was strict now. No one was to go anywhere on their own. There was a curfew, and nobody was allowed outside after dark.

Beck hadn't understood why everybody was panicking. But then the Professor had taken her aside and explained how powerful and unstable Phoenix was. It had scared her so much she hadn't slept for three whole nights.

The Phoenix discovery had also brought about some good too. Scott was no longer distant. In fact, he had been spending even more time with Beck than before. Not that she was complaining. They went on walks, worked on his bikes and cars in the garage, and had training sessions together.

The X-Men had been training harder than ever as well. And now that Beck was part of that team, she was in the danger room 4 nights a week with everyone else, pushing herself to the limit. It was exhausting, but she found she fit into the team well.

♥♥♥♥♥

Exactly seven days later (Beck knew she'd never forget that day) she woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. It took her a few seconds to realize what had disturbed her, but when she remembered she nudged Scott and woke him up quickly.

"What is it?"

"I can smell smoke!"

She was rushing around the room putting on the clothes that had been thrown around the room in another night of passion. She saw him get up and do the same.

"You're right, I smell it too. Do you know where it's coming from?"

She rushed and looked out the window into the front yard of the mansion. In the dark she could make out a bunch of figures creeping around. And at the front, her face glowing in the fire that surrounded her hands, was Phoenix.

"It's Phoenix and some other mutants on the front lawn. She's throwing those fireball things at the building!"

She and Scott hurried out of their room and ran straight into Ororo and Logan. Logan turned and walked away quickly leaving Ororo to explain the situation.

"We were just coming to get you, Logan's going to get the others. Its Phoenix and members of the Brotherhood. We don't know why they're here or what they want, but we have to stop them."

She handed them their X-Men uniforms. They hurried into the room and quickly got changed then ran down to the front foyer. The rest of the team was already gathered there. Beck noticed a lot of smoke but no flames.

"How come the buildings not on fire?"

"The Professor's asked a few of our telekinetic students to put a shield up around the school. But we don't know how long it'll hold," said Logan.

Scott rushed to the window and looked out.

"Phoenix is strong enough to punch through that shield. So why isn't she?"

Nobody answered. Suddenly the noised outside stopped. And Phoenix spoke.

"I know you're in there X-Men. Come out and face me and I'll spare the school."

They didn't really have a choice. They filed out through the door and stood in a group. Beck noticed the other mutants were Sabretooth, Toad, Callisto Quill and Pyro. Phoenix stepped forward, calling over her shoulder to the others,

"Kill them!"

Suddenly everyone was fighting. Logan had taken on Sabretooth, Ororo was fighting Callisto. Bobby and Pyro were facing off. Rogue and Kitty were confusing Toad, and Scott was facing off with Phoenix. Beck stood back with Hank, Piotr and Warren. Suddenly Piotr rushed forward to help Logan, and Warren spotted another mutant hiding in the shadows. It was Psylocke.

Hank told Beck to try and stay out of trouble as she hadn't been fighting long. She wasn't going to argue, as she watched him join Ororo in trying to stop Callisto. She was so busy watching everyone else's fights that she didn't notice Phoenix sneaking up behind her.

"Beck, look out!"

She whirled around in time to duck the flame ball phoenix had sent at her. Scott rushed forward to help her up. They stood there side by side facing off with the woman who used to be Jean.

"Isn't this romantic? You know Scott, I'm surprised. I thought you had better taste in women. Or should I say girls? She looks like she barely fifteen. I suppose she wasn't going to complain if you took her to bed though. "

"Shut your mouth!"

Beck looked at Scott and saw that his visor was glowing red around the edges. She knew he was furious.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I offend you? Good. You could still be with me Scott. All you have to do is say yes, and I'll take you with me now. You'll never have to come back here again. Or be with her again."

Suddenly a huge red blast hit Phoenix square in the chest. She flew back wards and stopped herself in midair, glaring at Scott. Her face turned hideous again, and she threw a flame ball at Beck so fast she didn't have time to react. It bowled her over, engulfing her in flames. The heat was unbearable, but as suddenly as it started it stopped. She went from flaming hot to ice cold in three seconds.

She looked up to see Bobby standing over her. He must've doused the flames with ice. She slowly sat up and looked at her body. She was fine. The flames hadn't been on her long enough to cause any damage. Her suit was a little charred but that was it. Scott rushed over and pulled her into a hug.

"I thought I'd lost you!"

"If it wasn't for Bobby, you might have."

He helped her stand up and she went and hugged Bobby, whispering a quick thank you in his ear. He grinned at her. It was then she realized that it was only the X-Men standing there.

"Where did Phoenix and the others go?"

"They took off once she set you on fire," said Logan "must've thought she'd killed you. Or at least hurt you badly."

"Do you think that's what they were here to do?"

He shrugged. Everyone else looked as confused as Beck felt. Scott pulled her inside, and the others followed behind.

"Hank, can you take her to the med lab and check she's ok? I'm going to talk to the Professor."

"Of course. Come with me, Rebecca."

Scott gave her a quick kiss, and she followed Hank downstairs to the lab. He took some blood and ran some tests. After half an hour he came back with a strange look on his face.

"Well, I've checked your bloodwork. The flames did no lasting damage that I can tell."

"Great."

"Yes. The problem is, I've found something else."

He handed her the piece of paper. She read through the writing he was pointing to. Then she read it again. And a third time.

"Is this a joke?"

"I'm afraid not, Rebecca. It seems you're pregnant."


	18. Chapter 18

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

Ok peoples, things are going to start getting interesting/complicated/whatever you can think of now. Brace yourselves! God, I love drama, lol.

**Chapter 18**

The next morning Scott found Beck sitting up on her bed hugging her pillow. He hadn't bothered knocking for some reason. It was almost as if he felt something was different. She jumped a little when he entered, and he saw her wipe away tears quickly. He rushed over to sit with her.

"Beck? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. I just didn't sleep well, I had nightmares about last night. About what happened with Phoenix."

"I understand. How did your check up with Hank go?"

"Fine."

She got up off the bed abruptly, and began pacing around the room. Scott had the feeling she wasn't telling him everything. He'd been talking to the Professor so long last night, once he finished he'd been too exhausted to do anything but go to sleep. He hadn't been able to see how she was.

"Hey. What aren't you telling me?"

"Honestly, its nothing. I'm just going to take a shower. I'll meet you downstairs, ok?"

She led him out the door, kissed him on the cheek, and that was it. Scott decided to go sit in the kitchen and wait for her. When he got there he saw Hank eating a bowl of cereal. It always amused him watching Hank eat. He wasn't sure why.

"Morning, Hank."

"Ah, good morning Scott. How are you feeling?"

"Uh, fine, thanks. So, I was wondering how Beck's check up went last night. She seems kind of…distracted."

He saw Hank pause for a moment.

"Scott, I suggest you talk to her about it. I won't deny there's something going on, but it's up to her to tell you."

And with that he walked out of the kitchen and left Scott feeling more confused than ever. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, but once Beck walked in he grabbed her arm.

"Tell me what's going on. Now. Even Hank's admitted there's a problem."

"So much for doctor-patient confidentiality. Listen, I'll tell you everything. Just give me a little while to discuss something with Hank, alright? Meet me in the garden in half an hour."

He nodded and watched her walk out. He had some breakfast, wishing time would hurry up. Eventually it was time to go outside. When he got to the garden, Beck was already there. She turned to face him smiling slightly.

"Glad you're here."

"You ready to tell me what's up?"

"In a minute. The reason I was so strange this morning, is its kind of a shock. And I wasn't sure how to take it. Or how you would react."

Scott sat there waiting. He wasn't sure what to expect. On one hand he wanted to know what was wrong. On the other hand, he didn't, in case it was something bad.

"Beck, whatever it is you can tell me. I'll love you no matter what."

"Ok, here goes. When Hank did my blood work last night, he noticed something. I'm pregnant. And the reason I went to him before, was I decided that no matter what I'm keeping this baby. I just wanted to make sure me being a mutant wouldn't cause any complications. But he said I should be fine. So…there you go. Are you going to reply or just sit there looking dazed?"

Pregnant? She was pregnant? It took him a while to realize she wasn't joking. And then he laughed and scooped her up into a hug, swinging her around the garden. She beamed up at him.

"I take it you're happy then?"

"How could I not be? This is amazing. We have to celebrate. Let's go ask the Professor if we can have a party tonight."

She laughed and kissed him.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

They rushed back to the mansion and knocked on the door to the Professor's office. He told them to enter and they sat in the chairs in front of his desk.

"I take it you have some good news judging by the smiles on your faces?"

Scott nodded, and squeezed Beck's hand. She smiled back at him.

"It is good news, Professor. Beck's pregnant."

It took Xavier a couple of seconds to register what Scott had said. Then he burst into the brightest smile either of them had ever seen. He wheeled his chair around the desk to congratulate both of them. Scott told the Professor of his plan to celebrate, and they were told to do whatever they wish.

As they left, Scott rattled off a list of things he'd need to buy for the party. He told her to stay at the mansion, and not tell anybody as he wanted to break the news that night. They decided to get kids to help set up by telling them it was Xavier's idea.

♥♥♥♥♥

That night, the party was in full swing. Everybody was having a great time, dancing and laughing. Scott had dragged Beck up on the dance floor and she hadn't even tried to argue. A few people had asked why there was a party, but they'd been told to just enjoy it. It didn't happen often.

About halfway through, Scott stood up on a chair and tried to get everyone's attention. There was so much noise that in the end Logan had to whistle shrilly, which scared everyone enough to be quiet. Scott got down off the chair after that.

"Ahem... thanks Logan. Anyway, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why this party is happening. We would've told you all earlier, but we wanted to save the surprise until everyone was here."

Everyone was staring at Scott, looking puzzled. Even the staff didn't know what was happening. Scott grabbed Beck's hand

"I guess its time to tell you though. Beck and I are expecting a child."

There was silence, and then everyone started clapping and cheering. People rushed forward to give them hugs and pats on the back. Logan and Ororo were beaming, and Kitty and Jubilee were dancing around happily. Scott looked over at Beck and saw she had tears of happiness in her eyes. He called for attention once more, and she looked at him confused.

"Hang on. There's one more surprise tonight."

He got down on one knee in front of Beck, and pulled a small box out of his pocket. He opened it, and saw her gasp.

"Beck, I love you. Will you marry me?"

"Oh my god. Of course I will!"

He put the ring on her finger, and saw how perfectly it fit. It was made of amethyst, not diamonds, because he had remembered her telling him she hated diamonds. He kissed her long and hard, and then held her for a long time.

The crowd had started cheering again, and an onslaught of hugs hit them. After a while, everyone started dancing again. Scott took his new fiancé outside where they could hear each other talk.

"Do you like the ring?"

"I love it, it's beautiful. And you remembered it's my favorite stone."

"Well, I wasn't going to get you something you hated if you have to wear it for the rest of your life."

"I can't believe this is happening. It's so surreal."

They sat outside talking for a long time. People would come out every now and then to say goodnight and congratulate them. After a while they decided to head to bed. They went to his room, and he didn't even need to ask her to stay the night.

"Scott…did you only propose because I was pregnant?"

"No. I won't lie, it did play a part. But I'd been thinking about it for a while."

"You don't worry that things are moving pretty fast?"

"Hey, if it's right, what does it matter haw fast it is? I love you. I want to be with you forever. Why should time change that?"

She pulled him into a kiss that seemed to go on for eternity.

"I love you too. This is the best night of my life."

This time he kissed her, and things got heated quickly. He didn't think they'd get any sleep that night.

♥♥♥♥♥

Hundreds of miles away, underground, Phoenix and her fellow mutants were telling a familiar face about their plan.

"That pretty much the main part. How it goes after that depends on the X-Men."

"I think its brilliant, my dear. Tell me how I can help."

Phoenix smiled eerily at the man across from her.

"Thank you, Erik."

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	19. Chapter 19

**THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRIT**

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. I wish I did.

Summary: Two months after the events of X2, a new mutant arrives at the institute. How will her presence affect the others?

Notes: This is my first ever fan fiction. Reviews extremely appreciated. Romance is on the way, but I like angst more, so it might take a while.

To all my reviewers out there, a big thank you! You're what keeps me writing! So long as I get one review each chapter, you'll see more of this story! Love you all!

Ok peoples, things are going to start getting interesting/complicated/whatever you can think of now. Brace yourselves! God, I love drama, lol.

**A/N: I am so terribly sorry it took me so long for this chapter to appear. Unfortunately I have been sick, had family dramas, as well as finishing my final year of high school, and things were out of control. But now that they have settled again I hope to keep writing. Thank you to those who continue to read this.**

**Chapter 19**

Almost a month and a half had passed since the night Scott had proposed. Things had been strangely quiet. Beck's pregnancy was going smoothly. She'd been having regular check-ups.

There had been no sign of Phoenix. The Professor had tried tracking her down using Cerebro, but she was able to shield herself and the other mutants with her from the device. That meant that they had no way of knowing what she was planning.

Beck had been feeling uneasy for the last few weeks. She wasn't sure why, she just felt like something bad was about to happen. She kept trying to tell herself she was overreacting, or it was hormones. But she couldn't shake the dread that seemed to fill her. Which is why she was sitting alone in the hidden garden, staring up at the sky. She liked coming here, it helped her think. Helped her get away from all the noise and the people.

It would be Christmas soon, her first one here at the mansion. Her first one with Scott. She'd already bought his present, knowing it was meant for him the minute she saw it in the store. And even though he'd told her that having his child was the best gift he could hope for, she still bought it.

She heard footsteps and kept still, knowing the only person that could find her would be Scott, or Logan if he used his enhanced senses. As the person sat down next to her, she smelled their aftershave and smiled, knowing who it was even before he spoke, his red sunglasses reflecting the light from the sun.

"Thought I'd find you here."

"Yeah. Just wanted to do some thinking."

"Am I interrupting?"

She looked over at him and smiled, then pulled him to her for a kiss.

"No. Not interrupting."

He pulled her closer, letting her head rests on his chest as they both lay there.

"You've been kind of quiet lately. Everything ok?"

"Yeah, I've just been tired."

"Is that all?"

Beck sat up and looked back down at him, stretched out on the grass.

"Something's going to happen. I can feel it."

"Good or bad?"

"I don't know. Bad, I guess. Otherwise I wouldn't be so worried, right?"

She watches him sit up and closes her eyes as he brushes some hair off her face.

"It's going to be fine. Whatever it is, so long as we're both together, it'll be fine."

She smiled, not knowing that only a week later he would be dead wrong.

♥♥♥♥♥

They were assembled in the hangar, standing in front of the Blackbird. All of them were in their X-Men uniforms, the same look of fear and determination etched onto their faces. The Professor had finally been able to track Phoenix down. Which naturally meant it was a trap. But they still had to try.

Beck glanced over at Scott as he talked to the Professor. Rogue and Bobby were standing off to the side, having a quiet discussion with Kitty and Piotr. Ororo, Logan, Hank and Warren were checking the supplies. Beck places a hand on her stomach out of habit. It calmed her down to know she was never quite alone anymore.

She looks up as Scott walks over and smiles as he kisses her on the cheek.

"We're ready to take off. Are you sure you want to come with us?"

"Yeah. I have to do this. And I want to help."

He nods and places his hand over hers on her stomach for a moment. Then he turns and speaks to the rest of the X-Men.

"Alright, listen up. We know this is most likely a trap. Phoenix has been able to hide, so why show up now? But we still need to try and bring her in. We'll be in two teams. Rogue, Logan, Storm, Beck and I will be the first team. Bobby, Piotr, Kitty and Hank will be the back up. The second team will wait at the Blackbird until the first team gives the all clear. If you don't hear from us within an hour, send word back to the Professor and start searching. This is going to be tough, and dangerous. But we can do this. Now…let's move."

Beck gets onto the plane with the others and straps herself in, feeling her stomach flutter nervously. She never liked flying, but hated this trip even more. Once again, the feeling of dread settled over her, and she closes her eyes as they take off, trying to think of something else.

♥♥♥♥♥

Looking around the quiet woods, Beck watches as Logan stands completely still, listening. He looks at Scott and nods slightly, alerting them to the presence of other people here. She shivers slightly, the feeling of something going wrong stronger than ever.

Scott signals to the group not to move and they look around, hands twitching slightly, their breath causing fog to appear in front of them. Suddenly movement to her left causes Beck to gasp and whirl around, only to find nothing there. She hears rustling in the bushes and stays extremely still, listening carefully.

All at once they're under attack. Rogue is knocked over the head by a large mutant and Logan rushes over to help her. Scott moves to take on a mutant he's never seen before, while Storm and Beck try to fend for themselves. More mutants seem to appear from the trees, surrounding them. Beck feels a pain in her head and sinks to the ground, crying out. Scott rushes over to her.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"She's here. Trying to get into my mind. God, it hurts…"

"_ENOUGH!"_

Scotts looks up and sees Phoenix standing a short distance from them.

"You will come with us quietly, now."

Logan growls as he holds onto Rogue. Scott glances at him.

"I don't think so."

Phoenix smiles, but it is not joy. It makes Beck's blood run cold and she realizes this is it. This is the moment she knew was coming, the moment she'd had such a bad feeling about. But before she gets a chance to warn the others the pain in her head increases and she gives in to the darkness.

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